Landing a Salmon. 39 



your tackle, &c. may, to your fancy, be sufficiently strong 

 to warrant it, for by so doing you greatly risk the losing 

 of your fish ; a moderate degree of pressure, however, is 

 always commendable and highly necessary. 



To secure your fish, at all times, when possible, use your 

 landing-net, which should be of larger dimensions in the 

 bow, and considerably deeper in the net, than the one 

 used for trouting, with a shaft about a yard and a half 

 long. Have a light strap fixed to the shaft, by which it 

 may be slung across the left shoulder, and readily disen- 

 gaged when required. This is in case you are using a 

 two-handed rod, because then your left hand will not be 

 at liberty ; but, when using a single-handed rod, you can 

 carry it as in trouting. A gaff should be used only where 

 a net cannot ; and, if you use a gaff, do not be so particu- 

 lar in your manipulation as to tickle your fish about the 

 gills, until you force him to struggle off, but into him with 

 it in the most convenient part. It is all fudge to say 

 that this is unsportsmanlike ; it is not half so much so 

 as to see a man drawing a fish among the gravel, to the 

 great detriment of his line, and chance of losing his fish, 

 after the labour and skill employed in getting him so far. 

 In netting the fish, place the butt of your rod against your 

 body, then releasing your left hand, keep your line taut, 

 unloose your net with your left hand, holding it ready, 

 guide him by the line into it, then raise the net quickly, 

 and if your net be deep enough, he is certainly your 

 prize. You will thus have accomplished a feat which but 

 few of our boasted Salmon -fishers ever achieved, and you 

 will have shown them that, in your hands, that " incon- 

 venient convenience" is really a sine qua non to a first- 

 rate craftsman. Never, if you can by any means avoid 

 it, haul a Salmon up stream, for thus you hold him at a 

 disadvantage, but keep below him, because it will give 

 you greater command over him. Of course, if you are 

 not provided with either net or gaff, you will, of neces- 



