134 
WILD NORWAY. 
As regards sport, our own luck this last season was 
of the poorest. Two rods, from May 18th till 24th, 
killed one fish, 23 lbs., and lost another. Three rods 
then fished “ clean ” for six days (one of them, however, 
spending most of the time and vast energy in the 
pursuit of a bear that was reputed to be ravaging the 
fiocks), and a blank week was only saved by a twelve- 
pounder on the seventh evening. In the hope that this 
capture presaged the beginning of a “ run ” of fish, we 
then worked extra hard, and during the next week 
killed every fish we saw—and I firmly believe every 
one that entered the river—but then they only 
numbered three , of 12, 10, and 9 lbs. respectively. 
On June 5th heavy rain caused a flood which 
rendered the water unfishable, though one nine-pounder 
was extracted from the tail of Brulandsberg, and others 
were reported to be “ running.” Whether this was so 
or not, nothing more was seen of them ; for, though we 
left Forde on the 8th, no more fish, we heard, had been 
taken up to the 14th. This season in Forde was late 
beyond the average. In other years the river has 
fished in May ; but now the salmon had clearly delayed 
their advent, for none were being caught by the nets 
in the fjord, the first being only secured at Naustdal 
(outside the river mouth) as late as June 2nd. 
For two consecutive years the early fishing on Forde 
proved disappointing. The river, we were told, has 
yielded 2400 lbs. (1750 lbs. of salmon) in a season, 
and by appearance it ought to realize that total every 
year. In physical conformation it possesses all the 
qualities demanded by the fish. Its pools are deep and 
strong, with abundant “ holts,” and the bed alternates 
