WET-FLY FISHING 



a constant strain kept up so he will never forget 

 he is hooked and must swim all the time. The 

 reel should have a light drag so that the fish can 

 pull out the line with little effort when he runs, 

 while the rod is still held vertical. In this way no 

 excessive strain can come on the fly or leader. 

 A very small pull will generally make a large salmon 

 run; a sulky fish is a great exception. I have only 

 had three or four in all my experience, and I have 

 probably taken 2,000 salmon, so that this con- 

 tingency need scarcely be considered at all. It is 

 most necessary with light tackle to form a habit of 

 winding the reel up properly and having the fine 

 perfectly distributed on the spool. This is done by 

 guiding the line on the reel with the left thumb 

 and forefinger. I have often seen fish lost by hav- 

 ing the line carelessly wound on the reel barrel, 

 usually too high on one side so that it falls over and 

 makes a tangle. This checks the outward feed 

 of the line and generally causes a break in the 

 tackle. In large water it is no unusual thing for 

 salmon to run 200 or 300 feet straight away, and 

 I have seen them go 600 feet. I know they can't 

 last long at this pace and do all I can to push them 

 on. This summer we were called to lunch, and 

 just as the other boat started, I hooked a good 



[ 75 ] 



