136 OBSERVATIONS ON A SALMON RIVER 



The tin box went overboard with other odds 

 and ends, and was written off as lost. 

 About a week afterwards a lad came up to 

 our camp from a farm on one of the lower 

 pools with a fine, though not quite complete, 

 collection of salmon-flies, which had been 

 found in the meshes of one of the stake-nets. 

 One more adventure. I have seen it said 

 that " all fishermen are liars," and on the 

 strength of the story that I am going to tell 

 I shall perhaps qualify for enrolment in the 

 fraternity. It all happened in " Jack the 

 Sailor," which was, I think, upon the whole, 

 my favourite pool. It was not too far from 

 home; it always held fish, generally large 

 fish ; and it was extremely dangerous, which 

 perhaps added to its attractions. At this 

 point the river flows between low cliffs sur- 

 mounted by a thick growth of trees. Ribs 

 of jagged rock run out into its depths, and 

 could be plainly seen at low water, twenty 

 or thirty feet below the surface. Here and 

 there great water-logged snags had become 

 firmly lodged among them. The whole 



