46 SALMONIA. 



and I do not despair of your becoming a 

 distinguished angler. 



PHYS. With time and some patience : 

 but I am sorry I tortured that enormous fish 

 without taking him. 



. HAL. I dare say he was a large fish ; 

 but I have known very correct, and even 

 cool, reasoners in error on a point of this 

 kind. You are acquainted with Chemicus ; 

 he is not an ardent fisherman, and certainly 

 not addicted to romance: I will tell you 

 an anecdote respecting him. He accompa- 

 nied me to this very spot last year, on a visit 

 to our host ; and preferred angling for pike 

 to fly fishing. After the amusement of a 

 morning, he brought back with him to the 

 house one pike ; and with some degree of dis- 

 appointment complained that he had hooked 

 another of an enormous size, which carried off 

 his tackle by main force, and which he was 

 sure must have been above 10 Ibs. At dinner, 

 on the table, there were two pikes ; one the 

 fish that Chemicus had caught, and another 

 a little larger, somewhat more than 3 Ibs. We 

 put some questions as to who had caught this 



