A Sportsman at Large 129 



for the truth of your story, for / happen to be that same 



angler ! " 

 He lies best who lies last ! 



But, alas, occasionally there are told by certain anglers, 

 wicked and deliberate lies, for the base purpose of obtaining a 

 material advantage. 



One such may discover some wonderfully prolific swim or 

 pool inhabited by a multitude of fishes that have a healthy 

 and accommodating appetite. In case this unlawfully com- 

 mandeered preserve of his should be encroached upon by 

 some other casual brother of the rod, who has obtained leave 

 for " a day's fishing," but who is ignorant of the " lie " of 

 the water, he goes out of his way to inform the luckless 

 wight that that particular swim or pool is an altogether 

 hopeless proposition. 



Another, having extracted a grudging leave from a riparian 

 owner, has a fine time, and lands a score of good trout ; but 

 only two moderate ones appear in his creel ! 



When the water bailiff comes up and asks him civilly if he 

 has had any sport, he replies nonchalantly : 



" Oh ! not much I'm afraid. The wind is against it, and 

 the water too thick. Now, if Lord Knowshoo would be kind 

 enough to let me have another day, I might do better. Here's 

 a dollar for you ! " 



' Thank 'ee kindly, sir," says the warden. " When I sees 

 his Lordship I will tell him, and p'raps he will give 'ee another 

 chance." 



Now confession is said to be good for the soul, so I will 

 unburden my mind of a very similar piece of iniquity, in which 

 I was concerned, together with my old friend " Teddy " 

 Maurice, excellent character-actor and first-rate all round 

 sportsman. We were reclining one sultry afternoon in the 

 highland heather, lazily puffing our " bruyeres," and 

 listening to the dulcet warbling of our mutual friend Durward 

 Lely, of D'Oyley Carte and Gilbert and Sullivan fame, who 

 was our companion for the nonce. Having finished his vocal 

 recital he who was, like ourselves, an enthusiastic fisherman 

 confided to us particulars of a wonderful day he had enjoyed 



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