AN EXCELLENT Rop. 209 
“Sir,—Not the least pleasure of the angler consists in 
looking back upon the summer-time when he ‘wandered 
dreamily away up among the hills by the side ofa tiny beck, 
new to the angler, with no sound but the plover or the cur- 
lew, or the distant tinkle of the bell-wether; no incumbrance 
but a light rod; no bother about what flies will or will not 
suit; no tackle beyond a yard of gut and two or three hooks 
in a piece of brown paper; a small bag of moss with well- 
scoured worms within; a sandwich or cold mutton chop— 
the latter for preference—-in one pocket, and a flask of the 
dew “that shines in the starlight when kings dinna ken in 
the other,” ete., etc. ; and when autumn, with its bracing air, 
succeeded summer, to the wild, excited, yet concentrated 
thrill that shot through his frame when he hooked the “ lord- 
ly salmon,” and which lasted till he could say to himself, “It 
is my turn now; you shall not have all your own way with 
me.” > 
“Such have been my feelings this cold, stormy winter even- 
ing, as I sat over a cosy fire in my easy-chair. I felt inclined 
to good fellowship with all anglers, especially such of them 
as have arrived at my time of life, when they naturally look 
back to what they have been in preference to what they are 
now, but are still fond of the sport when strength and oppor- 
tunity allow of following it. For the especial benefit of the 
latter, if you and they think it worth accepting, I have turned 
to my writing-case to give you the particulars of a light sal- 
mon-rod, equally good for worm or salmon fishing, which I 
got made at home last year. 
“Tts weight is 1} Ib.; length, 153 feet; first fish killed 
with it, 18 lbs. weight. 
“The first week in September this season I hooked and 
killed a male fish, 17 Ibs., and hooked and killed on successive 
days seven fish, aggregate weight nearly 90 lbs., without los- 
ing any thing once hooked. Two or three had the sea-lice 
on them—one especially, a 154-pounder, which for running, 
jumping, wheeling round and round in circles, shaking its 
O 
