PLEASURES OF ANGLING. 



had thus reached was a cluster of rocks and a fall 

 from which I must keep him or lose him. To hold 

 him was like holding an unruly colt with a halter, 

 and I soon discovered that he could not be started 

 an inch homeward without " smashing things" in 

 the attempt. As a last resort I called to my guide 

 to wade in and net him. He responded at once, 

 although the water reached his arm-pits, and the 

 current threatened to take him from his feet at 

 every step. To place the monster in the most 

 favorable position possible, I gently forced him to 

 near the side of a rock, that he might be the more 

 easily reached. My guide made an honest effort, 

 but in his excitement he struck wild, the fish was 

 frightened and gave a spring which tore off the 

 leader and let my released rod spring home with a 

 bound which came near making me throw a back 

 somersault into the foaming rapids, when I retired 

 from the contest more heated in temper and blood 

 than I had been before in a twelvemonth. But I 

 soon became reconciled to the situation by arguing 

 that such an half hour's contest was worth more 

 than a thousand trout. 



The next day, from the same spot, having four 

 flies on my leader, I hooked four trout, aggregating 

 five pounds in weight. In this swift water I had 

 my hands full. But in due time they were sub- 

 dued. The most difficult task was to land them 



