82 CATCHING THE WILY SEA-TROUT 



guest to work in advance downstream, and wait at a 

 bridge about a mile distant. When the two fishers 

 arrived at the river the host gave his visitor half an 

 hour's start and told him to sample every pool, saying 

 that he would take what was left. I was covering another 

 length up to the bridge where the three of us intended 

 to have lunch. When I reached the rendezvous the 

 visitor had already arrived, and he was elated by having 

 caught four sizable sea-trout, although he had not seen 

 a salmon. 



Not long afterwards our friend put in an appearance. 

 He was hot and tired with the exertion of having carried 

 four salmon, and our pleasure on his success was in- 

 tensified when he informed us that he had left four more 

 salmon on the bank about half a mile upstream. But 

 he had not touched a sea-trout. 



When the four discarded fish had been recovered and 

 our attention was focused on lunch, we held an inquest 

 on the morning's proceedings. I may say that both 

 fishers were using identical tackle, as my friend had fixed 

 up his guest with a metal minnow and trace. 



Upon deliberating on the fact that the visitor had 

 accounted for four sea-trout and no salmon, while his 

 companion had grassed eight salmon and no sea-trout, 

 our host, after listening to our respective theories, said, 

 " Both of you are down the wrong street altogether. 

 The sole reason for the different catches is the rate of 

 reeling." Picking up his rod and pulling off a quantity 

 of line, he turned to his guest and said, " See, to catch 

 salmon you should wind like this." With a somewhat 

 slow but methodical wind he demonstrated the appro- 

 priate action. " Instead of which you reel like this and 

 attract the sea-trout." At the same time he wound the 

 reel at about twice the speed which he had employed 

 when showing the rate required for salmon. 



