SALMON ANGLING IN IRELAND. 43 



CHAPTER IX. 



Our HobbiofjJMorning Walk Sligo Mathovv tho Groat The Drought begins 

 to toll Waters of the Neighbourhood Going a-fishing Lough Gill The 

 Angler's Duty Advice to a dear Countryman Off for Lough Molvin. 



March 3L 

 Every man keeps a liobby some men have a whole stableful so 

 I have as good a right to such an animal as my neighbour. 



In all works on horsemanship, this humble quadruped is sadly 

 neglected. No writer has yet thought it worth his while to devote 

 even one chapter to its use and abuse, its treatment, management, 

 or mismanagement. Some day, when I supply this deficiency in 

 our literature, the following rules will be strongly laid down, and 

 considerably amplified : ride your nag gently, and not too 

 frequently ; avoid splashing your neighbour, and never wilfully 

 gallop over him. 



Our present hobby is ' peep-of-day." To compare one's rising 

 with the sun would be absurd ; moreover, it would be taking a 

 monstrous liberty with that heavenly body. Fancy a poor ^vretch, 

 one day strong and gay, the next sick and sad, challenging him who 

 of old was worshipped as a god, to a race for the year. He would 

 lose to a dead certainty. However, I always try to imitate his getting 

 up as well as I may, and am now taking an early walk to the nearest 

 high ground to see all I can. In the face of my own rules, my friend 

 must not be worried into early rising ; I can only give him an occa- 

 sional hint, and set him a good example ; one hour of sunrise such 

 as this is worth half the day. 



Far away to the west and the north, stretches the broad Atlantic, 

 sparkling in the morning sun ; below me is Sligo Bay and Harbour, 

 through whose sandbanks and shoals a steamer is carefully threading 

 her way. The town lies sleeping on the old waterwom level, and to 

 the east is the lake, second only to Killarney in beauty. The sun 



