EARLY MEMORIES 57 



the rest. It was read by a very energetic journalist 

 and fisherman, Mr. Shrubsole, then connected 

 with another sporting paper, also defunct, but 

 very admirable at its best I allude to Rod and 

 Gtm, then edited by Mr. D. S. Meldrum, and owned 

 by Mr. Watson Lyall and he begged me to con- 

 vene a meeting that might give shape to my pro- 

 posals. " Fools step in where angels fear to tread/' 

 and without a moment's hesitation I acted on 

 the suggestion. The meeting was held in a room 

 in Swallow Street on February 3rd, 1893, and 

 Mr. C. H. Cook, better known in the angling world 

 as John Bickerdyke, was good enough to take the 

 chair. Among those present was the late Gerald 

 Geoghegan, a keen sea-fisherman and a warm 

 supporter of the Society almost to the day of his 

 tragic end. As a result of the meeting, a provis- 

 ional committee was formed, and within a week 

 Sir Edward Birkbeck, Bt., then in the House of 

 Commons and closely identified with the sea- 

 fishing industry, was persuaded to accept the 

 presidency. Mr. R. B. Martin, M.P., was shortly 

 afterwards elected Hon. Treasurer, and the secre- 

 tarial duties fell to myself. In that capacity, 

 since a labour of love always engages our best 

 efforts, I posted within the next three months 

 upwards of fourteen hundred autograph letters. 

 By the end of March, the membership was sixty ; 

 a month later it had increased to one hundred and 



