DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 187 



were he so inclined unless offered to him as no mere 

 tyro can. That fish will not take a fly for weeks to 

 come, so, just for once, Mr Fly-fisher, take my rod 

 and cast my bait, and you will find that spinning needs 

 much learning, for, without it, you will lose man}^ 

 a bait and catch no fish. I love my fly-rod, and 

 I have taught each of my sons to walk your path 

 with some skill, and they know that therein lies 

 the poetry of angling; but we have some love for its 

 prose, and in that box of rods beside fly-rods of all 

 lengths there are rods for pike, and, somewhere, two 

 short and stubborn ones for sea-fishing. We have 

 come for sport, and are prepared to get it from the 

 sea should rivers fail. PJease, fly-fishers, bear with 

 me when pollack fishing comes into my writings. 

 It may be as painful to you as the bull-pup hanging 

 to his nose was to the boy; even he had some satis- 

 faction in being told that it would be the making of 

 the pup. So cheer up, all of us. 



Be where you may, next morning comes, and, 

 with it, thanks to sleep, unclouded brains and vigour. 

 We were as fresh as daisies when I asked the maid 

 if Mr Sheridan, the landlord, was yet visible, and as 

 the reply told us that he was probably still in bed we 

 walked down to the sea, there to find huge Atlantic 

 waves tumbling in that would prevent the launching 

 of a boat. We sat and threw pebbles to while away 

 the time till breakfast, or until the host should appear, 

 and we could arrange with him how best to use our 

 day, or what of it was left when he should please to 

 wake. 



'You seem to me, dad,' said Harry, 'to manage your 

 sleep well; you drop off at will and wake to order hke 

 a kiddie. Perhaps the landlord is not so gifted, and 

 while you could soon teach him to wake at the proper 

 time, there is a probability that he would prefer to 

 learn how to fall asleep as you do, andt indeed, so 

 should I." 



