INTRODUCTORY xxi 



attractions than the hooking, playing, and landing 

 of the salmon, some of us who do not catch many 

 fish because we always fish on a bad day, when the 

 river is too low or too high, or rising or falling, or, to 

 put it shortly and with much more truth, those of us 

 who are bad fishermen would find small pleasure in 

 angling. " Wha's catchin' fush ? " the small boy 

 retorted when rebuked for catching fish on Sunday. 

 He was fishing, and perhaps enjoying himself in spite 

 of a guilty conscience, but he was not catching 

 fish. In salmon angling there is the exercise and 

 the pleasure which belongs to the skill required in 

 the proper performance of the exercise, two elements 

 which form perhaps the chief joy of athletics and 

 outdoor games. But in addition there is the en- 

 grossing study which belongs to all forms of hunting, 

 the study of the habits of the creature hunted, so 

 that skill already acquired may be turned to greater 

 advantage. 



From this the step is a short one to a more intel- 

 ligent knowledge of the life history of the creature 

 apart from its mere sporting value. It is very 

 natural, therefore, that sportsmen should be natur- 

 alists, and should render in the case of the salmon 

 valuable help to the elucidation of the fish's life. 

 Then the freshness and the leisure of life by the 

 river-side gives the characteristic setting to the 

 whole. How varied are the phases : the precious 

 grey day with the favourable breeze, the bluster 

 and battle of the day of squalls, when the whole con- 

 centration of the fisher and his every hope of success 

 is in self-control and quiet determined effort ; or the 



