SALMON- ANGLING. 323 



and thus rendered him desperate. Down he pushed, past the 

 tree. It was not of so much consequence now, for I gave my 

 rod to the driver for a moment (who handled it exactly like 

 his whip), got round the tree, and was all right. Having 

 the command of the stream, I soon brought the fish under 

 the bank, when the man gaffed him cleverly. Although so 

 game, he was only ten pounds weight ; and had I not been 

 hampered with the tree, I should have managed him in half an 

 hour. I anticipate the remark, " A bad day for the fly is often 

 a good one for the worm." This maxim was not applicable in 

 the present case ; for with one of the flies, several times refused 

 by the salmon, I hooked and landed a three-pound sea-trout 

 in the next pool I fished. No sooner had I dropped it into 

 my bag, than a five-pound grilse sucked down the same fly as 

 eagerly as the trout did, and shared the same fate. I had no 

 more time to spare ; but if I could have remained, I should 

 probably have had prime sport with the fly, as I left a beau- 

 tiful reach of the river untried. 



About a fortnight after, the water was again in excellent 

 trim for the fly, and I was alongside of the pool I considered 

 surest for a heavy fish. After twice going carefully over it 

 with the most approved flies, and without even a break, feel- 

 ing almost certain that a salmon lodged there, I again had 

 recourse to the worm. At the very foot of the pool, 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 foreshortening caused by the salmon coming straight up, 

 seizing the fly, then descending head foremost; which last 

 motion generally gives a glimpse of its tail. Instead of this, 



