194 DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 



when a rod is used that will give and take, and is used 

 with care. It might be also that our wish to show some 

 fish at the hotel on our return eased our hands a 

 bit. 



My fish was not of such a size as to make a fuss 

 about — nine pounds, we guessed; but after it was 

 gaffed Harry's flopped upon the surface and showed 

 itself to be of quite another year and probably twice 

 the weight of mine. Freed from effort, when mine 

 was in, I could watch the changes on the boatmen's 

 faces as their hopes and fears rose and fell with the 

 progress of the battle, and when the prize was safely 

 aboard it was pleasing to see their contented looks. 

 Had you seen these two fish when first laid in the 

 boat, I think you would have agreed with me that 

 pollack were planned by Nature for strength and 

 speed to have pleasure in the most rapid currents, 

 and that they look capable of giving glorious trouble 

 to an angler. 



It was changed men that started now to search 

 again for fish; they wore a smile, talked, and filled 

 the boat with joyous expectation. O'Malley con- 

 fided to us the number of his years, most of which 

 time he claimed to have spent in catching fish, and 

 while doing this he had become familiar with each 

 and every rock where pollack hide to rush on passing 

 prey. 



'If yer -honours will look a bit forward,' he said, 

 *ye will see a smooth place on the water; well near 

 it there's a rock that shows its head at low ebb when 

 the Spring toides are here, and it's Pat and meself 

 will row you round it if it plaise you to put the light 

 sinkers on yer hnes.' 



Twice we made a circle round the place without 

 a nibble, and, as the fishermen seemed surprised, we 

 wound in our lines — first one and then the other, 

 that we might not be without a chance of fish — to 

 see if they were clear and the baits spinning as they 



