A Sportsman at Large 277 



three others ! They were not of considerable size, the largest 

 scaling only fifteen pounds and the smallest not much bigger 

 than a top-hole grilse. I renewed the attack on several 

 occasions, but never quite so successfully as on my initial 

 attempt. Finally, it would seem that I had exhausted the 

 stock, for my last attempt proved utterly futile. So I aban- 

 doned the Foss altogether, and devoted my attention to 

 certain holes or " pockets," which lay at the base of the 

 rocks which bounded the Adsen Pool. Here I rigged up a 

 prawn on a single hook, with a leaded line, and manoeuvred 

 it on the " sink and swim " principle. In this fashion I added 

 half a dozen more fish (of which one fine fellow weighed 

 thirty-two pounds) to our tally. 



We were now nearing the limit of my tenancy. Day by 

 day conditions became more and more impossible. Such fish 

 as came up were so intent on ascending the salmon ladder 

 and betaking themselves to the higher pools, that they utterly 

 refused to abide in the Foss for our amusement. So I passed 

 the time in investigating the means by which the native 

 fisherman obtained the fine halibut which I had seen come 

 into the port. I found that their method was as follows : 



A number of empty, water-tight barrels had attached to 

 them the lines, gear and bait requisite for the capture of the 

 great fish. These gigantic " trimmers " were set afloat, but 

 secured to the shore of the fjord by a light line about fifty 

 yards in length. When the halibut seized the bait, this 

 attachment would be forthwith broken, and away would go 

 the barrel, careering out into deep water. Then the watchful 

 fisherman would pursue it in a scow, and, on overtaking it, 

 would hoist it into his craft, and then proceed to pull the 

 great semi-flat fish out of its native element by the scruff 

 of the neck ! 



I have seen many good pike caught with trimmers, but I 

 had no idea that ponderous halibut which might weigh as 

 much as 150 Ibs. could be captured in what was practically 

 an identical manner. 



So ended my first visit to the celebrated Sand river. 



Six years passed away before I again visited it. On this 



