Sahnon-fisMng— ^Catching the Fish. 153 



resource. How it is done I have never been able satis- 

 factorily to determine, but it feels exactly as though 

 some one was giving a series of short heavy jerks to the 

 line at intervals of three or four seconds apart. This 

 may continue for a minute or more without a break. 

 Sometimes I have thought it was caused by the fish 

 opening and then closing its mouth with a sudden em- 

 phasis — gasping, so to speak. Again I have attributed 

 it to its swinging its head from side to side. It oc- 

 curs not when the fish is running, but when it sulks — 

 when it sticks to the bottom as though it was glued there, 

 and defies every effort of the angler to move it. Under 

 these circumstances how promptly does the first jig para- 

 lyze the angler's efforts ! So sudden, so powerful, so un- 

 like anything in the ordinary course of procedure is it; 

 so well calculated to break the salmon's neck, and stave 

 the angler's tackle all to pieces does it seem, that the 

 aggressive is at once abandoned for the timid defensive, 

 and doubt and anxiety rule the hour. 



Again and again has Uncle Remus's story of the Terra- 

 pin come into my mind when so engaged. 



" ' What ails yer now. Brer Terrapin ? ' says Brer Fox, 

 sezee. 



" ' Tuck a walk de udder day, en man came along an 

 sot de fiel afire. Lor, Brer Fox, you dunner wat trubble 

 is,' sez Brer Terrapin, sezee. 



" ' How you git out de fire. Brer Terrapin ? ' sez Brer 

 Fox, sezee. 



" ' Sot en tuck it, Brer Fox,' sez Brer Terrapin; ' sot en 

 tuck it.' " 



When a salmon jigs, I can recommend no other or bet- 

 ter course than to follow the example of " Brer Terrapin." 



