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77te Story 

 of Kopseep 



on his side and lies there fanning the water; 

 then gently, very gently, you lead him towards 

 the shingle. He is almost yours ; you could 

 gaff him yourself as he swings past you, and 

 your nerves tingle as you see how big he is. 

 But at the first touch of the stones a new 

 strength quivers suddenly in Kopseep. He 

 turns on his belly, surges heavily down-stream, 

 and spite of the straining rod passes slowly, 

 powerfully under the leaning stub. You drop 

 your rod instantly to the horizontal, so that 

 your leader will not touch the wood, and 

 draw him out towards the middle of the river. 

 Again he rolls up on his side exhausted, and 

 lies for a moment just below the stub. His 

 eyes see it dimly, and with a last mighty 

 effort he turns and leaps clear over it up- 

 stream. The line doubles around the log; he 

 falls with all his weight on the taut leader; 

 there is a heavy splash. Then the salmon is 

 lying free in the shallows; the fly swings loose 

 under the leaning stub with a tiny white bit 

 of Kopseep's lip glistening on the barb. 



On the instant you have dropped your rod, 

 and all the sportsman's calm vanishes in the 



