other of the multitude of rivers where salinon gather. Happy beyond his fellows is the angler who has the skill to "fix up" his own tackling, to tie his own flies, to properly adjust his own reels, to make up his own leaders, and to do whatever else is necessary to be done to render him superior to calamity and independent of all ordinary mishaps. It took me many years to acquire this skill and more years to command the leisure to render it available. But even now, I am often obliged to call in the aid of experts to do for me what (if I could) I would find great pleasure in doing for myself. The finest salmon-flies I ever saw were made by our recent townsman, DEAN SAGEexpert in all the intricacies of the art, and the possessor of all the high qualities and gentle virtues of the noble guild of anglers. Judge FULLERTON, of our party, also possesses this desirable gift of deftness in large measure. If he had turned his attention to mechanics instead of the law, he would have become quite as eminent as an artisan as he now is in the profession he adorns. an My experience of last year, or rather the experience of others- for I was unusually exempt from accidents-taught me that it is never safe, where the fish sometimes reach the weight of forty pounds, to rely upon a single rod, line or reel, however excellent. They should always be held in duplicate. One is apt to be over-timid who has nothing to fall back upon in case of breakage; and nothing is more fatal to success and nothing more unpleasant than the constant fear that an extra pressure may snap things and exhaust one's resources. The best of tackling and plenty of it is the only safe rule. If, as in my case, no breakage happens, you will still have the satisfaction of knowing that you are prepared for the worst. My rod and line of last year served me through this, although my three hours and twenty minutes fight with my last fish caused such a perceptible weakening of one joint of my rod as to indicate that a few more such struggles would cause a rupture. I would sincerely regret such a calamity, for, by the verdict of every expert who has handled it, as well as by the verdict of my own experience, a better salmon-rod, in strength and elasticity, never responded to the cast of an angler. And yet it is one of the plain sort, of medium cost and beauty, like some fast steppers you occasionally meet with, "nothing to look at but great to go." It springs, with mathematical exactness, from tip to butt, and only requires the gentlest effort to launch out a sufficient cast to cover any pool of ordinary circumference. Two of our party had superfine split bamboos, upon whose construction as much skill had been dis played as money could command; but they both discarded them, after faithful and fatal trial, for rods the counterpart of my own, with the most satisfactory results. And yet there are those who prefer the bamboo; and some of the best anglers of my acquaintance use no other. But all bamboo rods are not alike any more than all rods of solid woods. The handsomest rod I ever owned, of foreign make at that, and which was pronounced by all who ever examined it to be as good in quality as in looks, proved to be worthless. After using my favorite rod, it was like casting with a hoop-pole, and has taught me, what all men are taught sooner or later, never to trust to appearances, either in fishing-rods or men. * * And now, scholar, with the help of this fine morning and your patient attention, I have said all that my present memory will afford me. But I shall long for the month of May; for then I hope again to enjoy your beloved company at the appointed time and place. And now I wish for some somniferous potion that might force me to sleep away the intermitted time, which will pass away with me as tediously as it does with men in sorrow; nevertheless I will make it as short as I can with my hopes and wishes. * These thoughts have been told you that you may also join in thankfulness to the Giver of every good and perfect gift, for our happiness. * So, scholar, I will stop here.-[Sir Izaak Walton. * * UR week's sojourn at the Forks passed away "like a tale that is told;" but its memory, like " a thing of beauty," will remain to us "a joy forever." It was an uninterrupted carnival of pleasure. If all nature had combined to minister to our happiness, we could not have been made more supremely content; and in a spirit scarcely less devout than that which moved the Psalmist, we often exclaimed, "Our cup runneth over;" "surely mercy and peace hath followed us all the days of our" sojourn in these quiet places. The morning after our torch-light review of the salmon pools was cloudless and serene.. The grand old forest seemed the temple of silence. The air was full of the sweet odors of pine and wildflowers, and the early morning light came down through the dense foliage like a divine benediction. The pleasant murmur of the running waters, blending with the plaintive chirp and whistle of the wood-bird, went down into the heart like the still small voice of the Spirit, awakening tender emotions of gratitude and thanksgiving. To the devout mind, these vast forest-temples are the best types of that other temple "not made with hands, eternal in the heavens," whose ineffable glories are yet to break upon the enraptured vision of the redeemed. The sun was just scattering his golden dust upon the green foliage which gives beauty to the rugged summit of "Big Berry Mountain," when the General issued his order to embark. It was hard to say "good-by" to a place where we had enjoyed. so many days of superb angling and so many evenings of joyous camp-life. But the tenth of August -the end of our permit, and practically, of the fishing season—had arrived and we must needs go home. So, with a sigh and a farewell to this place |