FISHES OF MY CHILDHOOD 27 



To my sorrow, I soon had to say goodbye to 

 these happy days, and begin life at school. But 

 even at Homer House I was able to indulge in 

 my favourite recreation. On Saturday afternoons, 

 when not rambling about Lord Ebor's park, I 

 went fishing, walking miles to some mill-pond 

 (the Medway being too far off), where the good- 

 natured miller, for the sum of sixpence, let me 

 try my luck with the rod, but I never suspected, 

 and he never revealed the fact, that often the 

 very day previous to my visit he had drawn off 

 half the water and netted many fish. 



However, I caught a fair number of trout in the 

 mill-stream, with the unsportsmanlike, but alluring, 

 red worm. Beauties these troutlings (weighing 

 each a half-pound or so) were, their golden sides 

 studded with bright spots. They showed fight 

 like bulldogs and made a capital fry! 



At a place called the High Rocks, not far from 

 Homer House, was a large pool, said to be well 

 stocked with carp and tench, for the angling of 

 which a charge of is. 6d. per day was made. I 

 tried it several times, but caught nothing, and 

 experience has since taught me that when one 

 pays for a fishing privilege, one catches no fish. 



Our headmaster, Dr. Primrose, was an enthu- 

 siastic angler, and used good-naturedly to take 



