THE IMPLEMENTS OF SALMON FISHING. 249 



half-swallowed fly out of his imperilled jaws. If strike he must, let 

 him do it with the least possible force or exertion. 



When first a large and lively fish feels the hook, he will not unfre- 

 quently, if cheeked suddenly, throw himself clear out of the water to 

 the height of several feet, and so endeavor to cast himself across the 

 tightened line, which, if he succeed in doing, he shall break it surely, 

 and escape. The counter-movement to this dodge, which is often 

 repeated many times in rapid succession, is to sink the top of the rod 

 quickly, so as to slacken the line, and suffer the fish to strike it only 

 when lying in a bight on the water ; but care must again be taken 

 here to reel it in again quickly, lest it may become entangled by the 

 fish rushing suddenly in towards the angler. 



Beyond this there is not much to say on the score of playing a 

 hooked fish ; the great end and object is to keep him, with as heavy 

 a strain as you can venture to support upon his mouth, with his head 

 down stream ; for in that position the water enters his gills the wrong 

 way, so that the vital principle of the oxygen cannot be separated from 

 it by the branchial apparatus, and the fish naturally dies by suffoca- 

 tion, or by something analogous to drowning. 



To effect this, very much delicacy and nicety of touch are requisite ; 

 the rushes of the fish are sometimes of fearful impetus and velocity, 

 and sustained for such a length of time as to take nearly all the line 

 off the reel, and to compel the angler to run at full speed, up or down 

 the bank, as it may be, in order to avoid smashing his tackle. It is 

 well here to observe, that it is in all cases the best plan to follow your 

 fish as early in the game, and as rapidly, as you can, rather than to let 

 off too much line, as you thereby keep so much in hand for an 

 emergency. 



The great principle is, to make the fish pull as hard as possible 

 without ceding line, and never to give him an inch that he does not 

 exact from you by force ; the knowledge of the exact amount of re- 

 sistance which you may offer, and of the when exactly and how much 

 you must yield, is the grand proof of the Salmon-fisher's science. If 

 he run for a rock, against which to smash your tackle, or for a cascade 

 or cataract, over which you cannot pilot him with a hope of success, 

 you must resist him to the last, which is done by advancing the butt, 

 fii'mly grasped, toward him, and bearing your rod backward over your 



