The Savannah morning news., 1900-07-20

landing-net where he could reach st east
ly, that viii be four pounds. with never
a lie to help him in the scales" and away
We went over the lake
/ declare that fish actually flowed us
He was a big, heavy-tailed fellow, while
our canoe was light as n leaf on the
water. and in his first rush he fairly
took us where he would. 1t was a novel
sensation. for, of course, not having an
independent footing l could exercise no
control over the capture" and 1 never
before felt so much like being played my
self as did during those first few min
utes. However, when his first strength
was spent and Pat got his paddle into
play, things began to go more our way.
Even then the excitement lasted 40 the
end. for l was cramped up, with but lit
tie power over the rod, while what with
the strong fish plunging furiously in front
and the muscular ITishman rowing be-
hind. we spun and curvetted about on the
blue mirror Of the lake in highly en-
barrassing manner. Soon the trout had
had enough of 1t, and came reluctantly
alongside. boiling heavily and squirting
the water in cascades around him; then,
when for one minute he turned his golden
belly uppermost and lay feebly wriggling
right under our bow, Pat, with the utmost
adroitness, slid the net swiftly under him
as anyone could wish to see. Again we
went along where the spume was held
by some off-shore current just outside
the reeds, picking up a couple of much
smaller fish in the course of twenty
minutes.
AS the second came on board fresher
breeze, which had been turning the blue
of the lake surface to silvery green be-
hind, caught us up, and under it, our
I.,els
our fairy craft we danced along in the
lveliest manner until little island
crowned by silver birches, was right
ahead. l was just thinking what charm
ing fairy retreat in mid-lake II seemed,
with miniature bays barely yard across,
soft, shelving beaches OF the whi<est sand,
where Liliputian natives might have
landed, frowning cliffs. knee-high crown
ed with luXuriant heather, and on top
primeval forest of stunted birch and iu-
niper when, as we rounded the outmost
cape Of that little island, there came a
tug at my rod and the reel sang out
right merrily. II was big fish again,
and as we turned 10 play him, the crisp
waVeIets Tapped in over our sides most
unpleasantly Now, Pat had great conf
dence in his ship on smoth waters, but
had a wholesome awe of being out in her
when the wind blew. We could not risk
being lowed this time, he adroitly swept
US under the lee of the islet, and there
grounded the canoe in a charming little
bay I stepped ashore, into a foot OF
water, by the way, but that did not mar-
ter. and played another good four-pound-
er at nv leisure. 1t was altogether an
easier matter this time in ten minutes
the quarry came walowing into the shai-
lows through foam-topped waves that had
got up with extraordinary rapidity and
was safely landed.
Then we lunched in the deep cushions
of the Juniper. with our backs to the
gusty rainstorm that came pelting over
the lake, only to be done as soon as com
menced, the wind piping fercely among
the Hchen- covered rocks behind, and the
skiff curvetting to her moorings in the
pool at our feet And Pat praised the
whisky, and vowed that my tobacco was
grown in paradise pointing out, as he
drew upon first one and then the other'
every tradit 'on-spot among the hne green
and purple mountains that rose about
us. lending his romances all the color ana
fuency of his Celtic Imagination, TIL l
could have shut my eyes, there among
the ling and strong scented bracken ana
Imagined we were the center OF charm
ed amphitheater filed with giants, COB
Inns, and blue-eyed damsels Grant Al
terward we fshed again with varying
success, for the WIND had dropped, ana
the sun returred & oriusly. But there is
no need 20 recapitulate each success or
disappointment Suffice ii that we found
our way back to the landing-stage a lit
tie before sundown, with as many fish as
we could cow niently carry. and |, at
least, with a brand new liking for the
coracle, that quaint and very ancient
craft which has monopoized the surface
of the great Irish tsrns from time
"whereof the memory of man runneth not
to the contrary" and. when once you
have mastered it's little peculiarities, is
surely the daintiest little ship in which
the enthusiastic angler ever weent ahoat.