6 THE SALT OF MY LIFE 



east and west, while the old-fashioned throw-out 

 line is less in evidence every year. Influential 

 clubs, societies, federations are established round 

 the island, and anglers assemble at the different 

 watering-places to take part in monster competi- 

 tions. Of such functions the patient reader of 

 what follows is asked to expect no account. I 

 was never present at an angling competition 

 and there is no reason for supposing that I ever 

 shall be. It would be ungracious, and it could 

 serve no useful purpose, to criticise meetings 

 which give great pleasure and do little harm. I 

 simply do not like them and therefore stay away. 

 In view of the hold which it has of late years 

 taken on the public, apology for sea-fishing is no 

 longer looked for as it used to be. Occasionally, 

 of course, it is still named in clubs with a snort 

 of contempt. Most clubs cultivate a species of 

 Culex, which buzzes around on hot afternoons and 

 irritates its neighbours. There is no bye-law 

 which empowers the committee to get rid of ob- 

 noxiously dogmatic members who were so ingen- 

 ious as to reserve their opinions until elected, 

 and the only thing is to put up with them. I was 

 tackled in this way in a provincial club not long 

 ago by a man whose only sport, as I afterwards 

 learnt, was occasional golf of the foozling order. 

 He had nothing else to do one morning and evi- 

 dently thought that I was similarly employed, 



