SPORT AT CAMPBELL RIVER 43 



on board the launch, or they, too, would have 

 been lost. 



It was infra dig. that he should express any 

 regret, and very unreasonable from his point 

 of view that I should show any annoyance, 

 which I did in what I considered very moderate 

 terms, considering the provocation. 



On landing, he suggested that I did not seem 

 satisfied with him, which was quite true, and 

 that " Joe," a hated rival, was disengaged and 

 available. 



I very nearly took him at his word and 

 " fired him out " but we made it up somehow, 

 and he remained my boatman, though I never 

 quite forgave the loss of so much valuable 

 tackle. 



Fortunately I had only a few more fishing 

 days left and had some spare tackle to replace 

 what was gone. 



Our opening day was simply glorious, a 

 bright sun and a crispness in the air which made 

 one feel that it was good to be alive. 



The scenery was exquisite. The sea calm 

 as a mill-pond, only broken by the oily swirls of 

 the rushing tide, and then there was the possi- 

 bility of that long-hoped-for big fish, who did 

 not come that day, though every pull from a 

 cohoe might have been him. 



Billy was positively polite, as it was his first 



