DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 113 



influence of a cigar after an outdoor lunch, and should 

 it have been preceded by good sport, maybe you tell, 

 or listen to, a tale. Now be it known that Phil is my. 

 eldest son, and of such an age that he has learnt that 

 sixty-five may have many a tale to tell, and he readily 

 listened while I told him this : — 



*I have put several sorts of rods and lines together 

 here, by the kind permission of the father of the 

 present owTier, sometimes for pike that Mr Keeper 

 had failed to snare, at others for roach that had 

 escaped his net. Grayling can be caught with almost 

 any member of the insect tribe that chance has made 

 them famihar with — grasshoppers, worms, and gentles, 

 are deadly baits, especially gentles. Some years ago 

 I was fishing for roach in the eddy just above, while 

 seated and hidden amongst the rushes, handling a 

 sixteen-foot, light, stiff, cane rod that had a brown hair 

 hne attached with a small hook that had two gentles 

 on it; to sink the lure there were two medium-sized 

 shot, and to keep it at the required depth was a Httlc 

 bibbety-bobbety float. Prior to making myself thus 

 ready I had cast in a pinch of gentles to whet the 

 appetites of the large roach that frequented this hole; 

 but from what followed I could guess that the roach 

 had had no chance with them. The Httle round cork 

 float had scarcely time to show me it would cock with 

 its peg uppermost, as bibbety-bobbeties should, when 

 down it went, in such a fashion as said, "This is not 

 a roach." It was not. I had three grayling out in 

 quick succession, and then got up to look about mc 

 and think. I thought, and then put the three fish 

 back, not in my swim. Two swam away quickly, but 

 the first caught showed no sign of life. So I took it 

 out and thought again. I was still thinking when 

 I saw a man and a black retriever, a long way off as 

 yet but coming nearer. Should I throw the fish into 

 the water and look not responsible ? No ! that man 

 will see something unusual in the water and say 



