FISHING FOR SEA-TROUT 217 



several fair-sized fishes, and all of them great 

 fighters. 



The following day we left the farm and drove 

 to another and wilder river fourteen miles away. 



John had a boat on the T , and in this we started 



down the river eight miles to his camp. Unfor- 

 tunately the water was low ; more and more 

 thinly it spread over the widening, stony bed of 

 the river ; finally it became apparent that the boat 

 could only be taken down if empty, and so we 

 walked to the camp. 



It was a comfortable log cabin, beautifully 

 situated, overlooking the river. Near it was a 

 large and likely-looking pool, so we wasted no 

 time before trying our luck. I lost two good fish 

 and the wife took the greatest care in explaining how 

 and why I had lost them. There were so many 

 reasons for their having gotten off that I was 

 really surprised that they should have stayed on at 

 all. To lose a fish of decent size is bad enough, 

 but how it happened should never be told except 

 by the unfortunate fellow who lost it. 



However, 1 kept my temper (more or less), said 

 nothing (or very Uttle), and kept on casting and 

 watching for retribution, which was thoroughly 

 mean and cruel. It was not long in coming, and 

 to my great delight I saw a nice fish take the fly 

 that my wife so skilfully offered. Splash ! splash ! 

 whirr I the running hne made the reel shriek and 

 the rod bent in a graceful bow. Only for an 

 instant, and then it sprang back, the hne hung 

 limp — the tension was gone, and so was the fish. 

 Had the wife been a man, we know exactly what 



