206 ANGLING. 



tune to slay a very large fresh water trout of the 

 common kind, but we certainly think that those of 

 lakes and rivers are stronger and more tenacious of 

 life when under the angler's hands, than sea-trout 

 of the same dimensions. The feelings of these two 

 beings, when hooked, differ somewhat in the same 

 degree as did those of Wellington and Napoleon at 

 the battle of Waterloo. A gentleman (?) having 

 stated his belief that the Duke was " surprised" on 

 that momentous occasion, Professor Wilson (the 

 author of fly first, p. 232,) replied with his ac- 

 customed readiness, that the Duke might indeed 

 have been " surprised," but assuredly Napoleon 

 was " astonished" So it is with the subjects of our 

 present somewhat discursive exposition. A sea- 

 trout, when first he feels the barb, is so exceedingly 

 astonished, that he flings himself repeatedly head 

 foremost into the air, and flounders about upon or 

 near the surface of the water, in a most lively ver- 

 satile manner (as the delighted angler deems), but 

 then he soon succumbs to fate, and after a few more 

 impetuous bounds, and fine vivacious unsuccessful 

 splashes, a well sized fish may very speedily be 

 drawn to land. But your river trout, even your 

 simple two-pounder, though much surprised, is also 

 greatly enraged, and will make repeated runs in 

 every direction rather than run ashore; he will 

 take perhaps a single spring or so, as if to ascer- 

 tain exactly what has happened ; he will dig his 

 way towards " the bottom of the nether world;" 

 he will try the diagonal dimensions of a deep and 

 sombre pool ; he will go helter skelter down a rocky 



