ANGLING REMINISCENCES. 209 



of retaining lys proper balance, and not unfrequently 

 rolled over, belly-uppermost, in the water. This, 

 however, might have been a stratagem of his to put 

 me off my guard, as all of a sudden he sprang di- 

 rectly into the air, and would certainly have shivered 

 my tackle, had I not become instinctively aware of 

 the movement, and provided for it forthwith, by 

 lowering the point of the rod. Finding himself thus 

 baffled, the fish seemed in no humour to resume his 

 descent, but commenced thrusting with his snout 

 against the opposite marge of the river, from which, 

 however, hastily recoiling, he took a cross run to- 

 wards that on which I stood, and continued without 

 intermission, for nearly a quarter of an hour, passing 

 and repassing betwixt the two banks. 



It was now growing dark I was far from any 

 dwelling, and possessed of a very imperfect know- 

 ledge of the wide and dangerous moor with which 

 I was surrounded ; moreover, I had the hunger of 

 a wolf, and was thoroughly soaked to boot ; 

 yet, gentlemen, for the honour of our craft, I re- 

 solved to remain and subject to the dominion of the 

 wand a fish, I feel assured, without its equal in broad 

 Scotland. Nor was I long in so doing, and that in 

 the manner which I shall now relate to you. 



The part of the river which I had at this time 

 reached happened to branch off in two separate 

 streams, which, joining again below, formed a small 

 island. Through the principal of these I had al- 

 ready been conducted by the fish during his ascent, 



Q 



