176 How I Became a Sportsmax. 



and no sooner decided on, than I proceeded to 

 carry it out. I selected a few of the best 

 shrimps, and put them in a tin box; I selected 

 my finest and strongest gut, with a good-sized 

 hook, which I carefully tried the strength of 

 by fixing the hook into a soft piece of deal, 

 and giving a good hard, steady pull. All right, 

 no trout that ever swam can pull harder than 

 that ; and away I went. 



It was a dull, rainy day in June, just the 

 day for fishing. I would not trust myself to 

 peer through the bushes to see if his highness 

 was at home ; indeed I proceeded on tip-toe 

 to within half-a-dozen yards of the bank, when, 

 having got all ready, I crawled towards the 

 bank, pushing my rod very carefully under- 

 neath the bush. I had only about a yard 

 of gut out beyond the point of the rod, 

 and it was with some difiiculty I managed to 

 get out another half-yard or so of line ; then 

 when I could see through the undergrowth of 

 weeds and nettles on the bank that my bait 

 was near the water, I lowered the point of the 

 rod, so as to allow the shrimp to sink about 

 two feet under water. Scarcely was it got to 

 that depth when I saw a flash, and at the same 



