AN AUTUMN FISHING 165 



here, where Monsieur le cure safe tucked 

 up and fast asleep in bed. . . . 



This deep, long reach is useless for 

 purposes of legitimate fishing — indeed, the 

 nearest catch is some half-mile higher up 

 the valley. 



It must be candidly admitted that this 

 fishing is not first class, or even comparable 

 with that of our own northern rivers. In 

 Brittany, though we often fish for salmon 

 we rarely catch them — and yet we go on 

 fishing I What is it that constitutes 

 the glorious delight of this sport ? It 

 certainly has not the intimate affection or 

 a fi-action of the skill required in the suc- 

 cessful use of the dry-fly, nor have we even 

 the satisfaction of a perfectly timed strike. 

 For usually the salmon takes well under 

 water ; the hooking part of the transaction 

 he carries out for himself. As Jean Pierre 

 says, *' Never jab at a fish tiU he jabs at 

 you ; when the line is taut you may drive 

 the hook home, but if you strike a fish 

 when he boils you're sure to miss him." 



Even the playing of a salmon, though 

 a back-aching and stupendous business, 

 does not require the lightning dexterity 



