30 ON SURREY HILLS. 



as he reached me, a small jack took one of the worm 

 baits, as they will frequently, do. 



After a little more refreshment I allowed him to 

 inspect my catch : then he begged me as a favour 

 to leave the remaining worms with him, for " never 

 in his martil life had he ever knowed worms to 

 ketch jacks an' perches like that ; he should try 

 them 'ere worms himself when the old man was 

 out of the way." Many of my readers who have 

 fished — I use the word with emphasis — know that 

 at times it is absolutely necessary to propitiate the 

 guardian genii of the place with fluids more potent 

 and soothing than the water that surrounds them 

 on all sides. There is the old saw of all being fair 

 in love and war, about the truth of which I am 

 unable to offer an opinion ; but I firmly believe 

 that all is fair in fishing when you pay for it. The 

 fluctuations inseparable from my particular branch 

 of work have always given me more leisure than 

 was at times acceptable or profitable ; for days and 

 weeks at certain seasons I am free to wander abroad 

 at will, but I trust in these rambling notes I have 

 said enough to convince my readers that even a 



