i68 How I Became a Sportsman. 



best days. Many a weary tramp I have had 

 to a stream a long way off, only to find the 

 water as thick as a duck's puddle^ from sheep- 

 washing somewhere above ; and you might as 

 well fish in one^ for any chance you have of 

 catching fish. 



Nearly ah fly-fishers profess to despise the 

 worm ; but I have known many who, on the 

 sly^ were not above taking advantage of his 

 seductive wrigglings, when they could not fill 

 the creel in a more legitimate way. I knew 

 one old gentleman in Devonshire^ who scarcely 

 ever returned with an empty basket, when 

 others, who had been out all day, had not risen 

 a fish. I got the secret out of a boy who 

 used to attend him. He said his master 

 would start off whipping the stream in the 

 most orthodox fashion ; but if the fish did 

 not rise, he pulled a box of worms out of his 

 pocket, clapped one on to a hook, and set 

 to work, the boy keeping 'a sharp look-out; 

 and if he saw any one coming, gave timely 

 intimation to his maister, who soon whipped on 

 his fly again, and thrashed away in the most 

 innocent manner possible. 



" Any luck, Hedger ? " said the new-com.er. 



