38 FISHING FOR PLEASURE 



the banks of the Stour, and the second by a little 

 sea trip to Swanage. 



Piscator Major had chosen Boscombe for his 

 family annual outing not specially on account of 

 the charms of that pleasant place, but mainly on 

 account of some good fishing which had been 

 made available to him in the neighbourhood. 



On Wednesday, August 1 2th, a large party of 

 us, fully equipped (the " A. A." excepted), started 

 by rail for fishing in the Stour, not far away from 

 Christchurch. The " A. A." preferred being pre- 

 sent as a spectator only. Bob (aged eleven) was 

 an old hand, but Eric (aged eight) was a novice 

 armed with a splendid new rod, a birthday 

 present from P. Major, his uncle ; Ted, a young 

 athlete of nineteen, wields a fly-rod with skill, 

 and, like the " A.A.," has a great abhorrence of 

 sitting all day on a hard board in a punt. Ted, 

 Bob, and Eric fished from the bank, the Major 

 and Uncle Arthur took to the punt and stuck to 

 it most of the day. The "A. A." acted as over- 

 seer, sometimes punting, sometimes marching 

 on the bank. Then fishing operations began 

 some distance up the river in a glorious green 

 meadow, where were many cows and a ranting, 

 roaring bull. 



Bob, I think, had the honour of being first 

 to land a pound perch, then another, and an- 

 other. Ted was equally successful. These two 

 caught ever so many, till at last they became 



