26 SALMONIA. 



for this year, they make no distinction, and 

 greedily seize any small object in motion on 

 the water. You see the alder fly is quite as 

 successful as the May fly ; but there is a fish 

 which has refused it, and because he has 

 been feeding, glutton like, on the May fly: 

 that is the fifth he has swallowed in a minute. 

 Now I shall throw the drake a foot above 

 him. It floats down, and he has taken it. A 

 fine fish; I think at least 41bs. This is the 

 largest fish we have yet seen, but in the deep 

 water still lower down, there are larger fish. 

 One of 51bs. I have known taken here, and 

 once a fish a little short only of Gibs. 



POIET. I have just landed a fish which I 

 suppose you will consider as a small one; 

 yet I am tempted to kill him. 



HAL. He is not a fish to kill, throw him 

 back, he is much under 21bs. and, as I ought 

 to have told you before, we are not allowed 

 to kill any fish of less size ; and I am sure 

 we shall all have more than we ought to 

 carry away even of this size. Pray put him 

 into the well, or rather give him to the fish- 

 erman to turn back into the water. 



