430 STRIKING FROM THE RE EI 



keep it taut, and when casting or striking, the first 

 finger must not grasp the rod. It is by far the best 

 plan, when striking a fish or where the stream is rapid, 

 to keep the hand altogether clear of the line and leave 

 the stream to keep it taut, there will then be no fear 

 of striking too hard, nothing can break, and the line 

 can run as freely as necessary. A fish so ' struck from 

 the reel,' as it is termed, generally affords more sport 

 by reason of its being struck harder. 



I have frequently proved that fish which have been 

 quietly and gently hooked do not feel pain, for in 

 numberless instances where such has been the case 

 and the hook has broken, the fish have been taken again 

 soon afterwards with the hook still sticking in them. 



The skin of a fish is very tough, and will hold like 

 leather, without giving any pain to the fish, which 

 suffers more from fright than pain. Fish hooked in 

 the skin do not fight as hard as if hooked in the eye, 

 mouth, or on any bone. I have, when fishing with 

 large hooks, hooked salmon through the eye, and they 

 have fought as if they were mad, their very weight 

 and struggles helping the fisherman to exhaust and 

 kill them all the sooner. 



I once hooked a salmon when using a shrimp as a 

 bait ; and when I was playing it, in a rocky and 

 dangerous pool, it ran up-stream under a sharp rock. I 

 could not see far down into the pool, and the result was 

 that he broke me, and I not only lost the gut cast, but 

 also several yards of line, which was frayed against the 

 rock, and I of course also lost my shrimp tackle, which 

 consisted of the usual lead and spinner, all of which 

 I recovered, some four days later, stuck close into 

 the shoulder of the fish, having captured the latter 



