258 AN ANGLER AT LARGE 



of a clean-run four-pounder. MacAlister and I 

 had hardly laid the fish reverently to rest in the 

 shade of a rock, when we heard Oberhausen's reel 

 singing again. This fish took him far down and 

 over his waders, and MacAlister had to go out to 

 him with the net ; 3^ Ib. "I doubt," said I, as they 

 came ashore, "I doubt your flies are too big." 

 " Better give it up," said MacAlister. " It's folly 

 to fish in such a sun. You will get no sport, 

 Oberhausen." 



But Oberhausen, the moment the hook was 

 released, had bolted up to the top of the sea- 

 stream. He was wasting no time now. Nor 

 did the fish give him much breathing space, for 

 the 3|-pounder was hardly dead ere the learned 

 doctor was doing battle again. This fish plunged 

 into a bed of weed, ran through it, and leaped into 

 the air on the other side. But the gods fought for 

 Oberhausen, the tackle held, and the fish scaled 

 3| Ib. Oh, sirs ! The very Adelphi warmed up. 

 There was no more talk of pike and John Dory. 

 Perhaps at that moment they realised that there 

 are joys in life which no study of the Great Models, 

 however persistent, may yield. Micio said : " This 

 is magnificent." " He's into another," said Mac- 

 Alister. By this time Oberhausen was working 

 like a machine. He ran his fish down its allotted 

 fifty yards, turned it at the proper point, headed 



