INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 3 



to the purchase of some kind of fishing tackle or other, whilst 

 I fear the unusual decorum which about this time so much 

 marked my own conduct, was more owing to the mercenary hope 

 of obtaining a fishing rod from one of my parents, a purchase far 

 beyond the means of my limited exchequer, than a sincere desire of 

 doing what was right, though I remember well it cost me a mighty 

 deal of self denial to accomplish it. 



Another of our tasks was the preparation of ingredients for ren- 

 dering the baits more enticing to the fish, though I believe, after 

 reading several receipts, and trying to prepare some of the pre- 

 scriptions, a small piece of camphor put into the moss with the 

 worms was all that was ever actually carried into effect. Then we 

 were to have a small box with gimblet holes bored in it, in which 

 a quantity of worms were to be placed, and when this box was 

 sunk (a stone being put in it for the purpose) the worms, as a for- 

 lorn hope to escape drowning, it was supposed would crawl out 

 through the holes, and so entice all the fish in the neighbourhood 

 to the spot ; to our certain benefit, as to their just as certain de- 

 struction. The worms also had to be dug (for we did not then 

 even presume to think of fly fishing) and kept in moss, which was 

 to be managed to the very letter according to the directions laid 

 down in Walton. 



At length the time arrived when we thought we might venture 

 to make our first attempt, which, to the best of my recollection, 

 was about the middle of February, previous to which I was entitled 

 to style myself the lawful owner of a two-jointed rod, the lower 

 part of hollow cane, with a tin ferrule and a hazle top, having a 

 piece of whale-bone at the end. Cousin Dick and brother Tom 

 both possessed a three -jointed half crown rod each, whilst my 

 younger brother was contented with two pieces of hazle spliced 

 together, which cousin Dick, for a consideration, had fitted up for 

 him. Thus equipped, fully bent on destruction, and equally san- 

 guine of success, we all four now set forth, though in the event 

 our plans, like those of many men of mightier minds, turned out 

 an almost utter failure. The locality we had selected, which was 

 a large mill pond with a clay bottom, was by no means a likely 

 place to expect success at that early period of the season, by the 

 mode of fishing we then adopted, added to which we were utterly 

 ignorant of the best spots for throwing in our baits, or in fact how 

 to cast in our lines at all. As for myself, I soon found I was 



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