A SrORTSMAX OF THE OLD SCHOOL. 33 



singing birds (the nightingale never comes so far east- 

 Avard). Being at the latter end of INIay, nature was 

 clothed in her most pleasing garb. 



" The flowers of the forest in spring time ■were gay, 

 And youth heightened all the soft pleasui'es of May." 



I had not proceeded far, when I perceived, at some 

 distance, a person fishing, and as I kept a sharp look out 

 to prevent poachers fishing this part of the river vdth 

 nets, bow-nets, trimmers, or night-lines, I went to ascer- 

 tain whether this disciple of Isaac Walton was a fair 

 angler, for being myself partial to the rod and line, I 

 never made any objection to a gentleman waging war 

 against the finny tribe according to the rules laid down 

 by him whom I justly consider the father of anglers. 



On my near approach to the person I had seen at a 

 distance, I found from his dress and appearance that 

 he was an elderly gentleman, well equipped for wading 

 into shallow water by wearing waterproof boots, which 

 came up three or four inches above his knees. I entered 

 into conversation with him, inquiring if he had been 

 successful in trolling for trout. He replied he had not ; 

 upon which I recommended him to go a short distance 

 above Billingford bridge, where there was a strong 

 current, and below the bridge a large deep hole, on 

 the banks of which grew alders and willows, amongst 

 whose roots were the haunts of a few large trout, some 

 of them weighing two or three pounds. He thanked 

 me for pointing out the place, but said he knew it well, 

 as he had fished in that river for several j^ears, and had 

 formerly caught some good sized trout there, and that 

 they generally came out of the deep water to feed rather 

 late in the evening, which I knew from experience to be 

 the case. In troUing, he appeared to be very skilful ; 



