A Sportsman at Large 3 



import), I was still under the command of " Nannie " (how 

 devotedly and purely I loved that woman !). It was holiday 

 time and our family bunch was absorbing ozone at Ryde, 

 Isle of Wight. I had seen certain long-suffering optimists 

 fishing from the pier, and longed to participate in their sport, 

 such as it was. So I induced " The Mums " to fit me out 

 with the necessary impedimenta (never trust a woman, however 

 devoted, to provide you with cigars or fishing tackle, it is only 

 asking for trouble !) . My mother, of course, " did it all wrong/' 

 She produced a hank of line more suitable for hanging out 

 clothes to dry, or for committing felo-de-se iniheSus-per-Col 

 style, than for the lifting of miniature fishes from the vasty 

 deep. The hooks, too, looked lonely without a joint of mutton 

 or beef to garnish them. 



But was my youthful and ardent soul dismayed ? No ! 

 not on your life ! Then came the question of bait. The keen 

 eye of observation had conveyed to my budding intelligence 

 that a worm was the one and only lure to command success, 

 so, after much labour in the back yard, my sand spade un- 

 earthed sufficient of the succulent but repulsive wrigglers to 

 serve my purpose. Soon Nannie and I took up position on the 

 iron platform below the pierhead, where the emerald waters 

 lapped upon the stanchions, and there I began operations. 

 Hard by stood a little lad, a few years older than myself, 

 also engaged in the gentle art, whose tackle was of such fine 

 quality that I visualized some monster of the deep becoming 

 attached and either pulling the youthful angler from his 

 perch, to meet a watery grave, or smashing him and his line 

 to smithereens. 



For some time he gazed at my endeavours with contempt ; 

 but presently, pity for my ignorance gained the ascendancy. 

 He approached Nannie and raised his cap most politely : 

 " Excuse me, Madam," he said, " but your little boy will 

 never catch sea fish with earthworms," (my spirits sank). 

 " I have some lug worms here," he continued, "he is welcome 

 to try them ; the fish are not taking well. So far I have not 

 had a touch." 



I jumped at the offer. To add to my gratitude the young 

 angler affixed a length of gut to my cable and bent on a 



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