EVENINGS ON THE EARN. 157 



side. The bank here is steep, and covered 

 with the stumps of the alder bushes that had 

 recently been cut down. The keeper was ready 

 with gaff. Putting on all the strain I could 

 for my powers of endurance and patience were 

 about exhausted I contrived to get him within 

 reach of the gaff, when click went the reel the 

 strain was off, and the fish, getting into the 

 trough, went down, down, down, my line play- 

 ing out, and I unable to stop him. After the 

 line was all run off, I held on until the line 

 broke by chaffing on the rocks. The keepers 

 made cursory remarks, and the Earl observed 

 that it must have been a very heavy fish, 

 which, of course, it was, for is it not the big 

 fish that always get away? Desiring the Earl 

 to take a cast where I knew the fish were 

 lying, he declined ; but on showing him that my 

 reel (a line and planet) was useless, and that I 

 could not fish any more, he took a few casts, 

 and in a quarter of an hour after hooking 

 landed a twenty-two pounds fresh-run fish. 



