80 WATERSIDE MEMORIES 



spasm of terror run aground in the shallow ; but there 

 is no doubt that, if an angler has nerve for it, force 

 promptly applied may surprise a fish of considerable 

 weight into capture before it can get fairly under way. 

 One of the best salmon-fishers I ever knew (he is now 

 on the far side of the bourne) used to set me an example 

 which I have never had the nerve to follow. In the 

 river which I often fished in his company there was 

 usually a good run of grilse in July. My friend had 

 little patience with them ; so soon as he hooked one, 

 changing his hand, he hauled the fish within reach of a 

 long gaff, carried by his gillie. The mouths of grilse 

 are soft, and no doubt he lost some fish through rough 

 handling that might have been landed if played in the 

 orthodox way ; but lightly hooked fish lightly dealt with 

 often break away in the end, and a short shrift with 

 grilse is most likely to contribute weight to the bag. 



The shortest successful struggle I ever had with a 

 heavy salmon took place in the Water of Luce. Sea- 

 trout abound in that stream, wherefore it is the practice 

 to fish with a small bob-fly to attract them, and a larger 

 tail-fly for Salmo salar. I had no gillie on this occasion, 

 and on fishing down the Abbey pool I hooked a salmon 

 that behaved in a very unusual manner. He never 

 went below the surface, but tore up to the head of the 

 stream with his back out of the water, turned down 

 stream in the same manner, landed on a flat rock that 

 was half awash in the middle of the river, lay there 

 wallowing for a moment or two, kicked himself off' and 

 dashed in upon the shingle at my feet. I slipped the 

 gaff into him a male fish of 23 Ib. the whole affair 



