App. B. Glorious sport. 257 



ordered from higher up the river had arrived, I tried a 

 deep narrow pool from it. I soon hooked a fine fellow, 

 certainly over 14 lbs.; played him for nearly an hour, 

 when he sulked; and, as no amount of stone throwing or 

 pulling would move him from his position behind a big 

 rock, I got into the boat to go across. That started 

 him, but unluckily he passed a sharp rock, and cut the 

 line. This drove me nearly frantic — not only losing the 

 fish after having played him for so long, but on account 

 of its being the second phantom I had lost that day ; and 

 besides, if I had only had a little more patience, and 

 not crossed the river, I probably would have bagged him. 

 Afterwards I caught four small ones with spoon. A. had 

 a blank day, but one of our friends, M., landed a 24- 

 pounder. 



Our next five days' fishing was much in the same style 

 as I have described. We moved our camp some 3 miles 

 up the river, between two pools. Every day we made good 

 bags, averaging about 100 lbs. a day. A. was always very 

 unlucky with big fish ; somehow, they invariably came to 

 me. Once a 43-pounder that I had hooked, after a good 

 deal of play, sulked in the most determined way ; nothing 

 would move him. Bearing in mind how my line had been 

 cut a few days previous, I was very patient with him, but 

 it struck me as being rather odd that I could not stir 

 him at all. So at last A. went over the place in the boat; 

 and, finding that the line was round a rock, he very clever- 

 ly cleared the line. Luckily, the fish was nearly drown- 

 ed, and became an easy capture; but, from the amount 



33 



