84 ANGLERS' EVENINGS. 



beach, we counted the "basket." I found that in about 

 four hours I had killed thirty-one fish, and returned to 

 the sea about a dozen more. The thirty-one fish weighed 

 nearly one hundred pounds. After taking one or two for 

 my own use, the rest were borne away by Robert, who, 

 in a sort of triumphant way, upon wishing me " Good 

 night," exclaimed, " They'll have hard work to beat that 

 fishing, sir." Such was my experience ; for though I was 

 out several times afterwards, and had very good sport 

 indeed, I never had so large a take of fine fish. One 

 rough afternoon afterwards I got some very good ones, 

 the largest of them a pollack, in splendid condition and 

 measuring nearly a yard long, but my calm afternoon's 

 sport with Robert was such as a man cannot expect to 

 have often. 



If in this paper I have been somewhat egotistical, I 

 would, by way of apology, remark that angling anecdotes 

 must of necessity be of a personal character, and that a 

 fisherman's advice, to be of any practical good, should be 

 confined to what he has tried and found to be of service. 

 I have done my best to make my instructions clear, and 

 I can truly say that whatever I recommend I have tried 

 and found to answer ; and that this paper has been 

 written with a wish that it may not only afibrd an hour's 

 amusement, but may be the means of giving many an 

 angler as good sport and keen enjoyment as I derived 

 from rod-fishing" off the Isle of Man. 



