116 SALMON ANGLING. 



water shallowing, he will again make another des- 

 perate effort, probably a new dash into the middle 

 current ; but, too much exhausted to resist the still 

 continued pull upon him, he will soon again fall into 

 the shallow, where, on a sight of his enemy, he is 

 again alarmed into a new effort, and again exhausted 

 by turning his outward-bound head down into the 

 water again and again, and again, until his own 

 last efforts to keep swimming are made subser- 

 vient to the cautious angler, who moves him by 

 degrees into the shallow, where, half dry, he must 

 at last yield to his fate, and fall panting on his side. 

 The angler should by this time have his line rolled 

 up to within rod length, and the rod should be held 

 with its top landwards, without slackening. The 

 fish should then be seized with the fore finger and 

 thumb of the right hand, across by the root of the 

 tail (which is by far the surest method of seizure), 

 lifted, or rather slid out head- foremost, over gravel 

 and grass, and in mercy felled with a blow on the 

 back of the neck.* 



After going through this process with a twenty- 

 two pounder (and the process would be the same 



* The natives of Australia are said to drown the fish they catch 

 by seizing them with the grip above mentioned, and holding them 

 with the head below water. The gills then open, and let in the water, 

 which drowns them in a minute. Younger. 



