BOYHOOD WITH THE ROD 29 



I also got leave to fish in Lord Hothfield's water 

 in a rather curious way. The Steward at the Castle 

 was an old gentleman called the Admiral. He used 

 to ride about on a chestnut pony, and often came 

 to visit the dear old Vicar, whose gates were next to 

 my father's and difficult to open. Whenever I saw 

 him coming I used to run and open the gate for him, 

 that he need not get off his horse before reaching 

 the Vicarage door. 



One day he stopped and spoke nicely to me, so 

 giving an opportunity of shyly asking leave to fish. 

 The ticket came in a few days, and was the greatest 

 prize I ever received, more than that it continued 

 to come annually for a long time. For the first few 

 years, in the spring, I remember I used to become 

 anxious about this ticket, and would watch for the 

 postman, wondering whether by any chance my name 

 had been missed. 



It is sometimes said that people do not value the 

 things they get for nothing, but I know well enough 

 that I set a bigger price on that given piece of card- 

 board than I do on what I pay for nowadays, and 

 the Castle folk have my fullest gratitude. Licences 

 for using a rod had not then come into vogue. 



My first fishing was done in a spate with a worm 

 for bait, and the first bite I had I struck so hard that 

 I snapped the larch butt just below the splice. Old 



