46 WHAT I HAVE SEEN WHILE FISHING 



It was only when the wind came on to blow and 

 the waves to roll a bit that I realised how self- 

 sacrificing Billy had been in voting for what was so 

 likely to be troublesome to him. This, and the 

 game way in which he fought against his troubles 

 until he was floored, and his " Shure, I'll not be 

 lavin' the boat ; it's meself that will be a sailor 

 when impty," quite won me, and we were fast 

 friends thereafter. 



The pleasures of angling are enhanced by the 

 use of a rod and line of only just sufficient strength 

 for the particular person using it to have the 

 chances in his favour of a successful issue to an 

 encounter with the fish he seeks to capture. This 

 is more frequently lost sight of in sea angling than 

 in any other, and is pardonable, seeing how new the 

 sport is and how uniform the exclamations of the 

 professional salts are when they get a sight of a slim 

 rod and fine tackle. When they first see my little 

 rod, fine blue line, and almost invisible wire trace, 

 they always prophesy, " That gear'll get carried 

 away, sir ; you'd better let I put out the hand- 

 lines." I hope, therefore, you will not think it 

 amiss if I offer a description of my pollack outfit, 

 which is, to me, the up-to-date result of my nearly 

 fifty years' experience. 



To assist my readers to understand the more 

 readily, my son has given a photo of our two rods 

 and tackle. 



Rods. The rods are 6 ft. 6 in. lengths of bamboo 



