196 CATCHING A SALMON. 



in all probability, will rouse him from his inactive 

 position. If you have no servant or attendant to do 

 it for you, be cautious in the lifting and throwing of 

 them, as the salmon may spring at that instant, and 

 break your tackle, should you be off your guard. 

 Being again in motion, he generally takes his way up 

 the current, do not then check him, as by this way his 

 strength will be the sooner exhausted. When, now 

 fatigued, and no longer able to keep his direction, he 

 once more tries all his wiles in disengaging himself 

 from the guileful and hated hook ; he crosses and re- 

 crosses, sweeps and flounces through every part of the 

 pool and stream ; but finding all his efforts to be vain, 

 he at last, indignant of his fate, with immense velocity, 

 rushes headlong down the stream. If the ground is 

 rough or uneven, or if you cannot keep pace with him, 

 give him line enough, and when it slackens wind up 

 again until you nearly approach him. You will then 

 probably observe him floating on his side, his motion 

 feeble, and all his vigour gone. Being unable to make 

 any farther resistance, it behoves you now to lead him 

 gently to the nearest shelving shore ; use no gaff, as it 

 mangles the fish very much, but take him softly by the 

 gills into your arms, or throw him, if not too heavy, 

 upon the top of some adjacent bank." 



As the salmon is seldom in the rivers in time for the 

 spring fly, the May fly is often imitated as a lure for 

 him, but is only an imitation, as it has to be made of 

 gigantic dimensions. The only fly of which a natural 

 imitation makes a good salmon fly, is, 



