FLY-FISHING. Ill 



a fish, and you will always perceive, that after he 

 finds he is your prisoner, he does all he can to get 

 down, as the best means of escape.) After getting 

 your fish under the command of a short line and 

 well-bent rod, let him run, and walk by the side of 

 him, keeping a delicate hold of him, with just 

 purchase enough, as I before observed, to prevent 

 his going down. When he strikes, ease him at the 

 same instant ; and when he becomes faint, pull him 

 gently down stream; and, as soon as you have 

 overpowered him, get his nose up to the top of the 

 water ; and when he is nearly drowned, begin to 

 tow him gently towards the shore. Never attempt 

 to lift him out of the water by the line, but haul 

 him on to some sloping place, then stick the pike of 

 your rod in the ground, with the rod a little on the 

 bend; crawl slily up as quick as possible, and put 

 your hands under him, and not too forward, as a 

 Trout thus situated is apt to slip back; so that 

 handling him this way must be rather a different 

 touch from that of w^eed-groping. If you use a 

 landing net (which, for saving time, and particularly 

 where the banks are steej), is sometimes a necessary 

 appendage), let it be as light as possible, very long 

 in the handle, and three times as large as what 

 people generally carry. Take care that neither 

 that nor the man who may assist you with it, goes 



