146 
WILD NORWAY. 
—especially that first bold charge. He scaled just over 
30 lbs., and measured 44 \ inches by 23i inches in girth. 
Saghoug pool, as stated, was too big and held no 
fish during our stay. We tried it all ways, and found 
harling rather “ creepy” work here, with the boat hang¬ 
ing on the lip of a half-mile rapid. “If an oar breaks, 
we are dead men ! ” “ True,” was the reply ; “ but if you 
consider such things, you cannot fish Norwegian rivers.” 
In Eorholm, the pool next below, I raised a fish 
the second evening and paid it special attention after¬ 
wards. The river here was one raging torrent, save 
for a sheltered space, some ten yards wide, lying well 
out in the stream. This space forms the catch; but 
between it and the angler swirls the intervening rapid 
quite fifteen yards in breadth. Hence, however skilfully 
the fly be placed on the middle water, unless the 
intervening line be held high and clear of a three-foot 
wave, the lure is instantaneously swept away. Three 
disappointments befell me here. Thrice I raised a fish 
on the verge of the torrent, struck quickly, and for a few 
moments enjoyed the rapid out-rush of line; but each 
time it proved to be a big trout, swept far down-stream 
in the swirl. That the first rise had been a salmon, 
we had, however, the eventual satisfaction of proving 
through the medium of the Black Doctor. 
In a short stay we had no time to find out the lie 
of the fish in so big a water. The regular pools were 
untenantable, and our gillies, though excellent hands, 
had evidently paid no attention to such exceptional 
states of water—at least, they had no ideas on the 
point; and perhaps, after all, there was really no chance. 
Except the two main pools mentioned, and a few 
