164 AN ANGLER'S HOURS ix 



in the meadow. When we reach this we 

 must hold on and hope for the best. There 

 are a few seconds of desperate opposition 

 when this policy is put into effect, but all 

 holds and he changes his mind. And now 

 he is running up-stream again, and line must 

 be gathered in hand-over-hand. We hope 

 he will now choose to fight it out in the deep 

 water above the fence. And so it proves ; 

 he bores sulkily about in the pool, occa- 

 sionally making another desperate rush, and 

 once jumping full two feet out of the water. 

 But his efforts get less and less violent, until 

 at last we can draw him over the landing- 

 net fairly beaten. And a very excellent 

 capture he is, all four pounds I warrant 

 you. No ? Three pounds and seven ounces 

 only ? Oh, well, he fought as well as if he 

 had been four. Yes, perhaps I am a little 

 excited, but you will grant it was such a 

 battle, and is such a fish as you shall not 

 meet every day. 



We will sit down on the fence again to 

 steady our nerves. The most seasoned hand 

 trembles a little after catching a big trout, 

 and the stoutest heart must flutter in the 

 moment of triumph. We have done very 



