290 A Sportsman at Large 



at Blackadder I came across a pool where several salmon 

 were showing ; but, though they rose to or followed my lures, 

 devil a one did I touch ; albeit I patiently presented to them 

 every pattern of fly which I possessed. 



Pushing forward for something over a mile I came to the 

 lower of the Castle lagoons. Here, standing on a promontory 

 which jutted into the water, I had some bright sport with the 

 sea-trout, and nearly filled my creel with fresh-run fish, though 

 none of them was of great size the largest going but little 

 over the pound, and most of them being herling. 



Whilst so engaged Mr. Matthews put in an appearance and 

 informed me that all would be ready for our reception in three 

 days' time. 



This Ballinahinch reserve was indeed an oasis, set in a 

 wilderness of wild wastes, bare rocks, coarse stag grass 

 and stunted gorse. Pages might be filled in describing 

 its glories, but it is up to me to tell of sport rather than to 

 draw vivid pictures of local colouring. The Castle itself 

 was a grand edifice, replete with every luxury and convenience. 

 Therein we settled down with much rejoicing. Visions of 

 sport crowded upon us, but the drought, which had held the 

 land for several weeks, continued to depreciate our chances. 

 Ere a change in the weather occurred I was joined by that 

 ardent sportsman, Teddy Maurice, the hero of " The Tin-spoon 

 adventure," as narrated in a previous chapter. He arrived 

 escorting my two younger sons, Denis and Lionel, then lads 

 of fifteen and thirteen respectively, the latter bringing with 

 him a miniature Zoo, consisting of rats, mice, rabbits, guinea- 

 pigs, frogs, toads, snakes and lizards. I regret to say that 

 these callow offspring of mine had no taste for " the art of the 

 angle," which was in direct contradiction of the laws of 

 heredity. They simply turned up their noses contemp- 

 tuously when I suggested that I should initiate them to the 

 sport which had appealed to me so insistently from the days 

 of my early boyhood. 



Day after day we watched the fleeting clouds and prayed 

 for that downpour which had been so long delayed, and which 

 was so ardently desired for the purposes of sport. But for 

 a time nothing happened ; nevertheless, we were a merry 



