246 SPORT AMONGST THE MOUNTAINS 



offer " at him with the gaff, but it is too soon ; the 

 fish, roused to fresh life by the sight of the horrid 

 biped, exerts all his remaining strengtli — we have 

 two or three last frantic rushes, moments of intense 

 excitement, during which we have not one single 

 thought for anything in the wide world but that 

 salmon and that gaff. At last the gallant fellow 

 is near the bank, thoroughly tired this time — the 

 gaff is in his quivering flesh ; Patsy struggles up 

 the bank with our glittering prize ; the fish is 

 knocked on the head, the fiy carefully cut out, the 

 hackles blown and cleared of blood or dirt — for 

 some salmon-flies are worth from fifteen shillings to 

 two pounds each — and then we and Patsy, or 

 Sandy, can sit down on the bank and enjoy our 

 well-earned rest. 



First we must have a "tot" of whisky to "wet 

 that fish " ; then Patsy says, " Sure now, yer 

 honour '11 be afther giving the blessed pool a bit of 

 rest, an' we'll thry another directly." 



So we sit and enjoy the beauty of the mountain 

 and river scenery, with a pipe of good tobacco and a 

 frequent furtive glance at the salmon, till a freshen- 

 ing breeze, or the sight of a rising fish, inspires us 

 with fresh courage, to result, if we are lucky, in a 

 fresh capture. 



Pleasant, too, is the fishing from a boat on the 



