DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 97 



of baits, than to any other man I know. Where 

 will your ^Ir Editor be then.'^ You'll have just one 

 half, my boy, and I wish you luck enough to get them 

 safely to the waterside.' 



My friend, while being one of the most unselfish 

 of fishing comrades, is, perhaps owing to his artistic 

 temperament, so forgetful as to be quite unsafe to 

 be in charge of any portion of the necessary impedi- 

 menta. He is sure to do something quite early in 

 the day to separate himself from what he will most 

 need; if it be baits he will probably leave them behind, 

 perhaps under the porter's tap, or it may be, he will 

 put them in the train and leave himself behind. I 

 have known him, when on the river, discover that 

 his rods were a mile away. 



When we were at A a farmer's son accom- 

 panied us from the farm to show us where to fish. 

 I am pretty smart at starting when once by the river- 

 side, but it is not so with my friend; he wall help to 

 start you if you will let him, and, if not, he will pre- 

 tend he is very busy preparing, or will have some- 

 thing important to ask the keeper. You have to 

 start first if there is to be a start. On this occasion 

 he talked to the farmer's son until I had hooked 

 a fish; when he had gaffed it, and I urged him to put 

 together, he replied, 'Let me see 3'ou catch another 

 first.' After he had gaffed a second he said, T think 

 I will begin, Geen,' but he did not until some time 

 after, as he then discovered that he had left his rods 

 at the farm-house. 



It must not be imagined that his reluctance to 

 begin arises from the same cause that keeps the newly 

 made sportsman fearsome to fire his gun before spec- 

 tators, for he is the best caster of a bait and drawer 

 of it to make it twirl that I know. He is quite artistic 

 in his unselfishness, and it lasts throughout the day. 

 When nearing the last live bait he will discover that he 

 would like a httle spinning and will put a dead one 



D.S.S. D 



