DISORDERED TACKLE 125 



time, I remember this fly well. His wings were 

 of the clear brown feather from the bittern ; his 

 body of black wool, with a hackle of the same 

 colour ; and his tail of a very pronounced yellow, 

 being made of the feather of a golden pheasant ; red 

 he was in the head, and altogether of a very com- 

 mendable and alluring aspect. The curl on the 

 water still continuing, I whisked him off gaily. At 

 the very second throw, the pool being somewhat 

 dead, I saw the water heave up, advancing in a wave 

 towards me. I waited patiently for the break, 

 which was a slight one, but pleasant and beauteous 

 to behold. This I knew to be the act of the Salmo 

 Salar ; and as my line was short, I was, as I before 

 recommended to others, in no hurry to strike ; but 

 fix him I did in due season. He no sooner felt 

 the hook than he began to rebel ; and executed 

 some very heavy runs, which so disconcerted the 

 machinery of my multiplier as almost to dislocate 

 the wheels. The line gave out with starts and 

 hitches, so that I was obliged to assist it with my 

 hands. To wind up it resolutely refused ; so that 

 I was compelled to gather in the line in large festoons 

 when it was necessary to shorten it, and again to 

 give these out as best I could when the fish made 

 a run. Add to this embarrassment that the ground 

 was distressing, there being alder bushes in my 

 rear, which made it impossible for me to retreat 

 and advance by land, by which means I could have 

 humoured the fancies of the fish, so as to obviate 

 in some degree the necessity of giving out and 

 shortening the line. So I had no power whatever 



