A SALMON LOCH IN SUTHERLAND 119 
me so much anxiety in the earlier stages of tlie 
struggle. The fish was gradually becoming ex- 
hausted, and the strain on the rod and line 
seemed to be much greater. " He'll be turning 
soon, I'm thinking," said Sandy. The end, 
one way or the other, could surely not be far off 
now, and we discussed the question whether or 
not we should try to land, but, on the whole, we 
thought we had better not run the risk of getting 
into very shallow water. At last the fish turned 
on his side, though he quickly righted himself 
and made another short run. Sandy had got 
the boat in about three feet of water, a few yards 
from the bank ; he handed the oars to my brother, 
seized the gaff, and got out of the boat. I 
slowly reeled in my line ; there was another 
short rush from the fish, and again I reeled him 
up. Nearer and nearer he came to the boat, and 
again turned on his side. Suddenly, in less time 
than it takes to tell, Sandy had the gaflp into him, 
and was struggling to the shore. Safely landed, 
the fish was speedily given his coup de grace. 
He was a very red male fish, weighing rather over 
lOj lb., and I had hooked him in the hard part 
of his upper jaw, which accounted partly for the 
fact that I had so little power over him, and also 
