231 



By way of parenthesis, the best way for seeing that charming 

 country is to go from Cork to Killarney, and not from Killarney 

 to Cork. By the former you have the scenery before you, and 

 increasing in magnificence all the way ; the other is the reverse in 

 every sense. 



We started fully equipped, intending to take our time along the 

 route and to fish any likely-looking stream we could get leave 

 on, or which was not preserved. In a wild place like Kerry an 

 opportunity of asking for leave was then not always available, so once 

 or twice, I fear, we boys were not as particular as we should have 

 been, and took chance with a good river of its not being preserved. 

 Anyway, in those days, most of them were free. 



That ten days or so was the longest continuance of really good 

 troutfishing I ever experienced. Every day we came across a good- 

 looking water, and we got rare sport on all we tried. 



One day a keeper came up to me while an unusually good rise was 

 on and almost every cast a fish was hooked, and I was landing them 

 fairly well ; all beauties in the best condition, and from herring-size 

 to over lib. weight. In a determined and impudent tone he demanded 

 my authority for fishing Lord Landnothing's water, which he had 

 rented from Mr. Castingline of Cork. Without ceasing fishing, I 

 assured him that we had been told the river was not preserved, but 

 in any case he could see for himself it was overstocked, and that 

 if he would only wait awhile, abate his anger, and allow me to go on 

 as I was, I would materially benefit both the tenant and the land- 

 lord by the same means ; a performance, by the way, not usual at 

 that time in Ireland, no more than it has been since. During the 

 parley, which took much longer than I do relating it, I was landing 

 fish as fast as I could hook and play them, and my friend, not far ofi", 

 was doing the same. The keeper was, of course, fond of a bit of sport, 

 and certainly, after a while, was less vehement in his protestations, 

 and, having given him my sandwich case and a flask containing some 

 ten-year-old John Jameson, he allowed us to have what proved about 

 the very best evening's fishing we ever had in our lives. As well as 

 I remember, we killed between us about five dozen trout, weighing 

 nearly, if not over, as many pounds. These we gave between the 

 keeper and the landlord of our hotel. 



Boys will be boys, so this exploit of ours may be forgiven, if not 

 excused or even justified under the circumstances. A boy who has 

 not love for sport and is innocent of devilment is in my opinion 

 not much of a chap. The river was full of trout, and had not been 

 fished for years nor was it likely to be for some time, so, as he said 

 himself, the keeper did good service to his employer rather than 

 otherwise by letting us have our sport. 



The river we fished that day was rough and rapid, and in some 

 places fell in cataracts several feet into pools which were encircled by 

 high, almost perpendicular, rocks. In these we had the right sport. The 



