GENERAL HINTS. 255 



I left the boat. This he did, strange as it may seem, 

 no less than six different times, pursuing precisely the 

 same tactics on each occasion. I was almost half in- 

 clined to give up in disgust, when John proposed to row 

 into the stream and play him from the boat. This 

 stratagem had the desired effect, as on the next occasion 

 we rowed close upon him to water-ward, and having 

 again started him, he made play, and after a rather 

 severe tussle was adroitly gaffed by John, who apos- 

 trophized him in highly classic language. As a finale, 

 both John and I drank to our success, just a thimbleful, 

 as is customary on the Tweed, and hanging our captive 

 upon the balance, found him to draw close on twenty- 

 one pounds." 



GENERAL HINTS. 



To enable any one successfully to contend with a 

 hooked fish, I recommend his attention to the follow- 

 ing general hints: In the first place, see that the 

 reel is left free to run, before ever casting a line upon 

 the water. In the second place, always compress a 

 portion of the reel-line firmly between the first two 

 fingers of the right hand and the butt of the rod, so as 

 to regulate its passage off the reel, either in casting or 

 playing a fish. And, in the third place, remember that 

 the first thing to be done, after hooking a fish, is to raise 

 the rod instantly perpendicularly, or rather a little back- 

 wards, over the fight shoulder, at the same time allowing 

 just as much line to run out as will enable you to do 

 this. Should the fish then take into his head to dart 



