166 GOLDEN DAYS 



and skill that is needed for a two- 

 pound trout. The movements of the great 

 fish are ponderous, and though he pulls 

 like the devil, his turns are more or less 

 expected and are sufficiently majestic to 

 give one time to recover line and await 

 further developments. True — these may 

 culminate in that horrible and sudden aerial 

 leap when the rod -point is lowered rather 

 from fright than good management, 

 while we experience a sense of cold per- 

 spiration coupled with a sickening fear as 

 to our fly's security along the salmon's jaw. 

 But it is not every fish who takes to 

 jumping, shaking his head in mid-air, and 

 sending cold shivers down the angler's 

 spine. Often it is just a give-and-take 

 affair of time and muscle, with interludes 

 when the salmon hangs, a dead-weight, in 

 mid-stream, impervious to the strongest 

 current and a side-strain that would tow 

 a barge. If we are honest with ourselves 

 we must admit that the allurement of the 

 game lies rather in the primeval joy of 

 tackling something really big, than in its 

 art and finesse. There is, however, a 

 physical delight in wielding a powerful rod 



