436 A FRA YED LINE 



been told that some of the Hne had become frayed 

 when playing a fish, owing to one of the rings at the 

 top of the rod having got out of gear. To my horror, 

 when playing a salmon soon after, I saw this frayed 

 portion running out through the top ring, being held 

 together by only a few threads. It was a dilemma, 

 and I did not know what to do ; but on the chance of 

 the fish being well hooked, I lowered the point of my 

 rod, when it gave up pulling and fortunately took to 

 sulking, thereby affording me the opportunity to reel 

 up the line. I had no sooner got the frayed portion 

 almost to the reel when it snapped, and I caught it 

 with my left hand, and had only just time to tie it 

 round my forefinger when away went the fish. I was 

 in waders and in deep water, and I found it such 

 exhausting work running after the fish, that it was 

 about six to four on my giving in first ; but it turned out 

 otherwise, for I managed to kill the fish, a 17-pounder, 

 under peculiarly trying circumstances, the line being 

 half-way up my rod and the fish some thirty yards 

 off. Mr. Allen Fraser, of the Cruives, witnessed 

 the performance, and he delights in describing the 

 struggle, and his own doubts at the time as to whether 

 man or fish would prove the winner. I should be 

 very sorry to repeat the performance, for the pain 

 caused by the line cutting my finger nearly induced me 

 to give in, and I had to run after the fish until I was 

 quite blown ; but fortunately the fish stopped and 

 sulked for a minute or two in a deep pool, which gave 

 me time to recover a bit, and after playing it and 

 drowning it in the deep water, I succeeded in bringing 

 it to gaff I shall not forget the exclamations of 

 mingled Gaelic and English which greeted me, nor my 



