DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 223 



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 cur- 

 rents 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 lines." 



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 

 should. Finding this was so I had little hope 

 remaining for that particular spot, but I did not 



