70 ANGLING FOR OUANANICHE 



rapid run of the former in a contrary direction. I 

 could see that he was a large fish, and was naturally 

 anxious to save him. It was certain that I was not 

 going to do it from the punt with the assistance of my 

 green guide. He was of too active and excitable a 

 temperament to remain a passive spectator of the strug- 

 gle. There was only one thing to be done, and that 

 was to land and fight my fish from terra firma. So, 

 pointing towards the pretty, sloping beach on the west 

 side of the pool, I gave the order " a terre" and towed 

 my fish behind me, giving him line when necessary, un- 

 til I stepped from the boat upon the beach. Even when 

 attended by the most skilful guides under other cir- 

 cumstances such, for instance, as when fighting a very 

 heavy fish, or after having successfully hooked a couple 

 at a cast I have often found myself repaid for the 

 trouble of towing the fish from where they were hooked 

 by having the guide paddle me ashore and of finishing 

 the fight from a rock or beach. There is thus avoided, 

 too, the prolonged disturbance of a good pool, and 

 consequent frightening of the remaining fish. But re- 

 venons d nos moutons or, rather, to our ouananiche! 

 After some ten minutes of good, strong play, now in 

 deep water and now leaping above its surface, my fish 

 showed signs of exhaustion, and was gradually led up 

 close to where my man stood, landing-net in hand, 

 ready to lift him from the water. By the wild shot 

 he made with the net directly for the tail end of the 

 ouananiche, it was soon made evident that he knew as 

 little of its use as of that of fine fishing-tackle. An- 

 other lecture to " B'tiste," and another small struggle 

 with the fish, which was now coming in partly upon 



