ENDURANCE RATHER THAN PATIENCE 157 



friend hailed me from afar, and beckoned with 

 joyous and eager solicitation. Though I was 

 pressed for time, I pulled up to him against the 

 wind and stream, for I thought he had something 

 of great moment to impart ; but it was only to 

 say " that I would be glad to hear he had caught 

 two dozen gudgeons that morning." But I do 

 not think I was glad, at least not particularly so, 

 though he was a very worthy man. 



As for myself, if I am ever so indiscreet as to 

 utter a word about fishing, I am always asked 

 "if it does not require a great deal of patience." 

 Now, these sort of interrogators are in Cimmerian 

 darkness as to the real thing. But I tell them, 

 that to be a first-rate salmon fisher requires such 

 active properties as they never dreamed of in their 

 philosophy. It demands (salmon fishing at least) 

 strength of arm and endurance of fatigue, and a 

 capability of walking in the sharp streams for 

 eight or ten hours together, with perfect satisfac- 

 tion to one's self; and that early in the spring 

 season, when the clean salmon first come forward. 

 In after life, people are considerably addicted to 

 boats, and to go about attended like admirals ; 

 that is what we must all come to. But your real 

 professor, who has youth on his side, should neither 

 have boats nor boots, but be sufficient in himself. 

 No delay, no hauling the boat up the stream, but 

 in and out, like an otter ; even like we ourselves 

 in the time of our prime, Fahrenheit being below 

 zero. We then pitched our tent under Craigover 

 rocks, on Tweedside, and slept in it, that we might 

 go forth, rod in hand, at five o'clock each morning 



