DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 163 



I had to fish it or appear most unobHging. I took several 

 long casts ^^'ithout result, and then pulled from off 

 the winch what hne was needed to search the river 

 from bank to bank, and, while the line was stretched 

 out to its last coil, I felt it tighten, and struck a fish 

 which, after much manoeuvring, was brought across 

 and safely gaffed. Not many minutes after I felt 

 the shghtest touch at the same spot, but with no 

 result. Coil on coil dropped into the tin without my 

 heeding. ^ly eyes were watching for the minnow to 

 see if it had become disfigured by a weed. I saw it 

 coming, and, when it was so close to me that I was 

 in the act of Hfting for another cast, something hap- 

 pened that was so starthng in its combined effects 

 as to quite unnerve me for an instant and put to 

 ridicule my ready answer to 'How do you manage 

 when a fish comes on while your tin is full of coils?' 

 I killed the fish which had actually splashed m.e in its 

 rush for the bait; but for an account of what hap- 

 pened during the first few seconds you must ask Mr 

 Pipe, who, being an onlooker, saw most of the fun. 



Many who have thought their 'Mallock' or their 

 'Silex' reel perfection have been converted to the 

 coil. They could cast as far and as accurately as I, 

 though not with so hght a lure as mine; but the 

 getting back, with a reel, must cause discomfort 

 which becomes too back-breaking for any one before 

 the day is over on a river like the Lyon. It is a 

 pleasure to stand by a newly-made convert to the 

 tin and show him still further how it is done — there 

 are several helpful wrinkles — and see his pleasure and 

 hear his thanks. Military men are the most apt 

 pupils and show most pleasure, for the head-up attitude 

 that coil-making allows suits the set of their Hmbs 

 better than the stooping, leaning bend which the 

 winch exacts, and they are also quick to see how 

 much more enticingly they can manipulate the bait 

 with their new-learned method. 



