416 SWINGING A FISH INTO STILL WATER 



used, as a salmon on the larger description of rod. 

 Of course, much depends on the kind of water in which 

 they are hooked, for in water which is comparatively 

 speaking still they very soon drown themselves ; 

 whereas in rapid water their play and dash is very fine, 

 and they afford magnificent sport in their endeavours 

 to reach their favourite haunt behind some rock or 

 boulder. Where too powerful a rod is used they are 

 so easily kept headed down-stream that they soon 

 drown by reason of the water rushing in at their gills, 

 a plan which I have at times been forced to adopt with 

 salmon, and which I have found succeed with the latter, 

 both large and small, though, as every fisherman is 

 aware, such fish have the greatest objection to going 

 into such water, and will fight hard to avoid doing so ; 

 but once they are in they are easily managed and done 

 for, and ten minutes will suffice to kill almost any fish 

 under such conditions. However, the only excuse which 

 there is for adopting such measures is to save the dis- 

 turbance of the other portion of the water, for there is 

 no sport in being forced to so curtail the bold tactics of a 

 fresh-run, stout-hearted fish. It is not always possible 

 to thus swing a fish down-stream into still water, for 

 the simple reason that it will not be thus forced, having 

 made its run up-stream and regaining its strength every 

 moment it remains in the heavy water. I once made 

 a bet, when fishing on the Spey, that I would land any 

 salmon I hooked that day in, or under, five minutes, 

 and I succeeded in killing six fish and landed each 

 within the prescribed time. 



Where there is a back-water it is simple work to kill 

 a fish if he can be brought into it and kept there, which 

 is feasible if the fisherman puts the proper strain on 



