Do ye ken hoo to fush for the salmon? <br />If ye'll listen I'll tell ye. <br />Dinna trust to the books and their gammon, <br />They're but trying to sell ye. <br />Leave professors to read their ain cackle <br />And fush their ain style; <br />Come awa', sir, we'll oot wi' oor tackle <br />And be busy the while. <br /> <br />'Tis a wee bit ower bright, ye were thinkin'? <br />Aw, ye'll no be the loser; <br />'Tis better ten baskin' and blinkin' <br />Than ane that's a cruiser. <br />If ye're bent, as I tak it, on slatter, <br />Ye should pray for the droot, <br />For the salmon's her ain when there's watter, <br />But she's oors when it's oot. <br /> <br />Ye may just put your flee-book behind ye, <br />Ane hook wull be plenty; <br />If they'll no come for this, my man, mind ye, <br />They'll no come for twenty. <br />Ay, a rod; but the shorter the stranger <br />And the nearer to strike; <br />For myself I prefare it nae langer <br />Than a yard or the like. <br /> <br />Noo, ye'll stand awa' back while I'm creepin' <br />Wi' my snoot i' the gowans; <br />There's a bonny twalve-poonder a-sleepin' <br />I' the shade o' yon rowans. <br />Man, man! I was fearin' I'd stirred her, <br />But I've got her the noo! <br />Hoot! fushin's as easy as murrder <br />When ye ken what to do. <br /> <br />Na, na, sir, I doot na ye're willin' <br />But I canna permit ye; <br />For I'm thinkin' that yon kind o' killin' <br />Wad hardly befit ye. <br />And some work is deefficult hushin', <br />There'd be havers and chaff: <br />'Twull be best, sir, for you to be fushin' <br />And me wi' the gaff.<br /><br />Sir Henry Newbolt<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/master-and-man/
