38 WILD SPORTS OF THE WEST. 



a momentary glance of the broad and fan-like tail. 

 '* He is fifteen pound wefght ! " Obedient to the 

 directions of my mentor, I left the spot the salmon 

 leaped in, and commenced casting a dozen yards below 

 it. Gradually I came over him again. " A light cast, 

 Frank, and you have him ! " I tried, and succeeded 

 gallantly. I sent the fly across the water with the 

 lightness of the thistle's down as at the same moment 

 the breeze eddied up the stream, and curled the surface 

 deliciously. A long, dull ruffle succeeded — whish ! 

 span the wheel ; whish-h-h-h-h, whish-h-h, whish ! I 

 have him ! 



Nothing can be more beautiful than the play of a 

 vigorous salmon. The lubberly struggles of a pond- 

 fish are execrable to him who has felt the exquisite 

 pleasure that attends the conquest of *' the monarch 

 of the stream." His bold rushes — his sudden and 

 rapid attempts to liberate himself from the fisher's 

 thrall — the energy with which he throws his silver body 

 three or four feet above the surface of the water — and 

 the unwearied and incessant opposition he makes, until 

 his strength is exhausted by the angler's science ; all 

 this must be experienced to be adequately conceived. 

 In ten minutes I mastered my beautiful victim ; and 

 Mortien Beg gaflFed and landed a splendid summer 

 fish, which, if the cook's scales be correct, weighed 

 thirteen pounds and seven ounces. 



Overjoyed with my success, I proceeded up the 

 river. My cousin brought me to several delightful 

 pools ; and, with his assistance, I raised and hooked 

 several capital fish, but only landed one of them, a nice 

 and active salmon of about eight pounds weight. From 

 half a dozen white trout fresh from the sea I received 



