at such a
place. Salmon at close quarters often prove troublesome. This one was
several times brought near enough for a skilled gaffer to strike him as
he swam slowly along parallel with the boat, but this would have been
too much to expect from a learner. I had, therefore, to keep to the
boat, and not only to bring the fish in, but to guide it past me to the
ledge below. The fish, however, as I knew, was firmly hooked; it was
merely a question of time, and, as a fact, Ole very cleverly gaffed a
clean-run salmon of 13 lb. That day, besides the salmon caught and
another lost, I had grilse of 5 1/4 lb., 3 1/4 lb., 4 1/2 lb., and 3 lb.

It was my good fortune to have Pot Pool again for the evening. Again
it was dull, with an incipient drizzle as we started out at six
o'clock. The fish were now rising, at any rate, in my pool. At the
very entrance to it, which was, in fact, the connecting run from The
Rocks, I killed, after a fussy tussle and plenty of leaping out of the
water, a grilse of 4 lb.; and we had barely rowed out into the stream
when a fish of 6 lb. or 7 lb. leaped head and tail out of the water at
my fly without touching it. The overcast character of the evening
suggested to me the use of a Bulldog, and we were now enabled to
practise the formulas at which Ole and Knut at first appeared so much
amused. On hooking a fish I keep my seat, and direct the course of the
boat to a suitable landing place. The craft must be pulled partly
ashore, if feasible, before I attempt to move. Then I rise and back
gently to the bow of the boat, where Ole is in readiness to lend me a
hand as I step out, sometimes no easy thing to do if I have to land on
a high, slippery rock. Delightful it is to have the fish fighting all
the time as only a grilse will. Your salmon often moves sullenly, and
will cruise slowly about with a dull, heavy strain that is most
comforting to an experienced man, who feels certain that the fish is
well hooked; but this is not wildly exciting.

Your grilse is here, there, and everywhere. There is no slackening for
him. He is a dashing light dragoon ever at the charge, determined to
do the thing with spirit if it is to be done at all. At first I have
no doubt I lost more grilse by giving them too much law. The longer
the fish is on, the looser becomes the hold, and I have always found it
better with fish of 5 lb. or 6 lb. to play them to the top of the
water, and then run them in without ano