72 PLEASURES OF ANGLING. 



more syllables than any reel that ever passed under 

 my disgusted inspection. A reel that " ticks like 

 a chronometer and moves like clock-work" is all 

 very well in a show-case ; but a reel with rough 

 and ready action and straight-forward movements, 

 like a man with " no nonsense about him," is the 

 reel for service. It was the last bit of work that 

 fancy reel was called upon to do during our three 

 weeks on the Cascapedia. 



Another incident, equally exciting, but resulting 

 less fortunately, happened to the General upon 

 another occasion. He had solidly hooked a very 

 large fish in a pool where large fish pre-eminently 

 abound. He sulked persistently. For nearly an 

 hour he remained as im-movabl^ as a rock. No 

 strain which it was safe to impose upon the rod 

 could move him. He simply wouldn't stir. Noth- 

 ing is more provoking, and nothing more tries the 

 patience of the most patient angler. The fatigue 

 is even greater than when hooked to a fish that 

 deems "action, action, action," quite as essential 

 to liberty as the rhetorician declares the same 

 qualities indispensable to effective oratory. The 

 tension must be equally preserved, without a 

 moment's relaxation, whatever moods the fish may 

 assume or whatever freaks may move him. To 

 be obliged to stand an hour thus pulling upon an 

 immovable object, until every muscle in one's 



