SALMON -ANGLING. 83 



where it joined the shallow, my bait stopped, and the 

 peculiar twitching of the line made good my prognostic. 

 Allowing him time to gorge, I struck, and had hold of a 

 noble fellow. After a good struggle, I landed the largest 

 fish I ever secured in the Echaig, fifteen pounds and a half 

 when I brought him home. This day, however, neither 

 salmon nor sea-trout would look at a fly. 



A raw salmon-fisher is seldom aware what sized fish has 

 risen. It often appears much smaller than it actually is, 

 from the fore-shortening caused by the salmon coming 

 straight up, seizing the fly, then descending head fore- 

 most ; which last motion generally gives a glimpse of its 

 tail. Instead of this, if the fish should flounder its whole 

 body out of water in coming at the fly, the effect is very 

 imposing, and even a six-pounder will appear to the novice 

 a perfect monster. 



When hooked fish splash on the top of the water, take 

 great care, or you may break their hold by too tight a 

 strain. The opposite extreme is equally dangerous, as 

 they may then shake the hook out of their mouth. It is 

 the nicety of art to let them get down without falling into 

 either error. Should the river be small, of course most 

 of the heavy fish will be collected in the deepest pools. 

 Pay most attention to them. When stones and rocks are 

 easily seen at the bottom, there is a clearness either in 

 the air or water that hinders fish from stirring freely ; you 

 have then, perhaps, a better chance with worm than any- 

 thing else. Also, when leaves and other rubbish come 

 floating down, they frighten fish, and prevent their seeing 



