68 Fly-FiJhing. 



nary. Talk of fimermen, indeed, armed with rods 

 like young oaks of no mean fize, and lines that 

 would do for cart ropes, in the falmon-teeming 

 waters of Norway ! Why, fuch tackle and main 

 force would do much to tame the monfters there ! 

 But who of the moft fuccefsful of you all can beat 

 fuch a feat as this, of Ml verfus ftrength ? 



The reader will perceive from the account of 

 this marvellous capture, that a fifherman needs 

 fomething more than the mere ability to throw a 

 fly well the " ne plus ultra" of good riming in the 

 opinion of many. If a fly-fifher would aim at any- 

 thing like excellence in the art, he will foon find 

 that a certain tendernefs of hand is indifpenfable, 

 fo that, whether it be a minnow or a monfter that 

 rifes at him, he does not by too fudden and ftrong 

 a movement of his wrift, endanger his tackle. He 

 will find alfo that great caution is needed in with- 

 drawing his line from the water, as it often hap- 

 pens that a fifh will quietly take his fly under the 

 furface, without his being aware of it. If then, in 

 fuch a cafe he is too quick in his movements, not 

 unfrequently will he either lofe his fly, or do him- 

 felf fome other damage. 



Now an old friend of mine who fometimes joins 

 me in my rambles, with a fovereign contempt for 



