APRIL 65 



prudence, ' How will you land a fish if you hook him ? ' 

 fell on a deaf ear. 



The fish was there right enough. The blue and 

 silver 'bulldog' had made but three or four voyages 

 across the brown water when a pretty ten-pounder 

 rolled on the surface ; bending greenheart and singing 

 line told of a salmon securely hooked. Up and down 

 the pool he raced in the usual way; but it took but 

 a few minutes to realise the impossibility of bringing 

 him to the gaff in such a place, so swift and strong 

 ran the current at my very feet. Bushes above, below, 

 behind; the deep river in front; I could not move 

 from my narrow foothold. Ten minutes went by ; the 

 salmon was pretty well tired out, but every time he 

 came near the rocks the strong current swept him out 

 of reach. Something had to be done. I sent the gillie 

 to reconnoitre ; he reported as possible, but difficult, a 

 passage through the steep thicket to more open water 

 below. Clinging firmly with the right hand to the 

 bushes, and holding the rod in the left I began a 

 painful progress ; the fish followed docilely ; only one 

 point remained to circumvent, but that was a critical 

 one, for at that point the pool ended in a tumultuous 

 rapid, through which the salmon must be steered to 

 the open water below. Ah ! had I but two hands to 

 put to the rod ! But my right hand was needed to 

 prevent me falling into five feet of swift water ; and my 

 left hand was not strong enough to resist a final rush by 

 the fish as he swung into the rapid. The rod point was 

 dragged into the water ; a straight pull on the reel line 

 thrilled me to the marrow; a moment of flickering 



E 



