A CRITIC for whom I am compelled to profess very 

 great reverence, particularly as she is good enough 

 to help me very considerably with the correction of 

 proofs, that most abominable of necessities, some- 

 times says to me, " These articles of yours always 

 describe such excellent sport and such big fish. 

 Now I never see you get one or the other." To 

 which I reply, " Before I married you, my pearl of 

 women, I used to have very good luck indeed ; but 

 since that to me most happy event I have the most 

 d well, no the very worst luck imaginable in 

 fishing, just as I have at cards or any game of 

 chance." Then I am snubbed with the reply, 

 "That is all nonsense. There is no such thing 

 as luck. It is your lack of skill in both cases." 



Now I have a considerable amount of patience, 

 and experience ought to have given me some little 

 skill, yet I must say that I have been most awfully 

 unlucky of late, and I am ready to grumble to any 

 extent, and to humble myself, and gratify my critic, 

 by detailing some of my blank days. 



Now every angler expects to meet with blank 

 days now and again, when wind and weather have 



