i86 DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 



There was a moment's wait for an upstairs guide, 

 during which a youngish man approached my son, 

 and voiced the question which several would no 

 doubt have asked, 'Have either of you fished here 

 before?' and when he got the answer 'No,' he said, 'You 

 have brought some rods, I see, and long ones, too, 

 judging by your box.' 'It certainly does seem huge 

 beside the others,' said Harry, 'but in it are some 

 httle rods to which I pin much faith/ To this came, 

 'Well ! I wish you better luck than mine. I have 

 httle rods, but, as yet, I have pinned nothing to them/ 



When in our room Harry was of opinion that the 

 trouting prospects were none too bright, and in this 

 he was confirmed by a further conversation during 

 dinner with the angler who had addressed him in 

 the lobby, who informed him, 'This is a jolly place, 

 but the lake on which rehance for sport is placed had 

 rendered up most of its white trout before I came, 

 and the few remaining ones seem proof against all 

 lures, though I have tried them at break of dawn and 

 at dusky eve. But the landlord, you know, is such 

 a jolly, hopeful fellow, and he says that we only want 

 rain and the lake will be full of them again. It is not 

 quite right to discourage you, perhaps, but you were 

 sure to find it out.' 



'Thank you very much,' said Harry, 'you have 

 saved us time.' 



There can be but few who have pitied those fly- 

 fishers who deem all other sports inferior and un- 

 worthy of their notice more than I have done. I 

 would sooner hunt rats than kick my heels waiting 

 and waiting for what does not come until my chance 

 has flown. I suppose they think that the superiority, 

 the dehcacy, and, to put it in a word, the Art of fly- 

 fishing makes it sacrilege for its votaries to worship 

 at any other shrine. Let them try^ spinning a lure 

 in rapid rivers, combing rocks from behind which a 

 salmon will not move and could not take your bait 



