153 The American Salmon-fisherman. 



seconds by the watch. Such slack as the lowering of the 

 rod may give is at once appropriated by the current, and 

 whatever share the fish may gain must first be won from 

 the current. This takes time. We do not fish by elec- 

 tricity — ^at least not yet. 



In short, unless the fish is close at hand, I cannot see 

 how any demonstration that the angler can make by low- 

 ering the tip of his rod after the leap of the salmon has 

 begun, can by any possibility be transmitted to the scene 

 of action in time to affect the result in the slightest 

 degree. 



The cardinal rule for playing fish of all kinds to a suc- 

 cessful issue is — Iceep a tight line; nor can I regard the 

 leap of a salmon as justifying a departure from this rule. 

 For a long time it has been my practice to do absolutely 

 nothing under such circumstances, ezcept to look on and 

 admire, unless the fish is very near — say twenty yards or 

 less. Then I sometimes do lower the rod a little — not 

 because I fear the fish will fall on the leader or break it 

 with its tail, but simply because it may require more line 

 to reach the place where it regains the water, and as the 

 demand is sudden it may be well to aid the click a little. 

 In so doing either I have been singularly fortunate, or I 

 am justly entitled to claim that the fallacy of the time- 

 honored theory and practice has been demonstrated. 



Of all the performances of the salmon which the 

 angler must encounter, none demoralizes me like '"jig- 

 ging." I am not aware that it is so especially danger- 

 ous, but its moral effect is immense all the same. For 

 every other move of the salmon the angler has an active 

 response, but against this passive endurance is his only 



