PLEASURES OF ANGLING. 251 



I made it, when the largest trout I ever saw in 

 these waters rolled up to my fly, but I failed to 

 strike him. I drew in and cast again, and again he 

 rose, but the great resistance which his broad side 

 presented to the swift current prevented him from 

 overcoming the inch or two which intervened be- 

 tween his open jaws and my fly. But the dash was 

 so eager that he threw himself entirely out of 

 water, and I shouted to my guide, who was stand- 

 ing on the shore with distended eye and open 

 mouth, " four pounds, if an ounce ! " as my brown 

 hackle again dropped just where I saw his broad 

 fan-tail disappear at his last rise. Up he came with 

 a rush ; and before he lost his ascending momen- 

 tum, I struck him with a thud ! which gave me 

 assurance that I had him securely hooked. For a 

 moment he seemed content with the situation, but 

 so soon as he discovered that he was not his own 

 master, the tussle began. I struck him at thirty 

 feet, in deep and swift but unobstructed water. I 

 soon found that I could not hold him just at the 

 point I desired, and was obliged to give him line. 

 All went on finely for ten minutes. My eight- 

 ounce rod nearly doubled upon itself, but stood the 

 test charmingly ; when, with a side rush which I 

 could not prevent, he secured to himself the whole 

 force of the current, and was distant a hundred 

 feet in an instant. Within ten feet of the point he 



