20 ANGLING REMINISCENCES. 



unparalleled activity, and probed into the very haunts 

 of the largest trout. His most eminent feats, in- 

 deed, were accomplished with the par-tail, and he 

 gloried not a little in recounting them. 



We remember well his description of the capture 

 of a large salmon with this lure. He happened to 

 be trolling in the narrow well- known gorge, im- 

 mediately below Yair bridge, and while in the act 

 of drawing the bait ashore, he observed behind it a 

 slight convulsion of the water, accompanied by one 

 of those momentary gleams, which none but a prac- 

 tised eye can detect as proceeding from the flank of 

 a heavy fish. Tom immediately proceeded several 

 yards higher up the pool, and commenced angling 

 down and across, towards the spot where these indi- 

 cations took place. The salmon again rose, and 

 fortunately, by allowing the bait to run until gorged, 

 he succeeded in hooking it. No sooner was this 

 accomplished, than it commenced its long, steady 

 dart, almost on the surface of the water, terminating 

 it with a sudden plunge, which threatened to snap 

 both rod and tackle. The struggle of the fish to 

 escape proved; however, unsuccessful, and only 

 served to strengthen the hold of its enemy. But 

 still there was no appearance of exhaustion about 

 it. It turned (to use Tom's own expression) like 

 a philosopher, and leisurely walked up the stream, 

 as if meditating upon the three Fates. Suddenly, 

 however, it coursed in a new direction, exerting at 

 the same time its whole energies in order to get 



