68 THE ANGLING CLUBS AND PRESERVATION 



answering that question I will endeavour to show the 

 difference between angling clubs past and present. 



At a date by no means very far antecedent there were, 

 comparatively speaking, only a very few angling clubs in 

 existence. Such as they were, they embraced all the best 

 and longest-lived societies then in being, with some few of 

 the now rapidly springing body of piscators, constantly 

 resolving themselves into some new club, and which might, 

 under proper skilled management, become in time a mighty 

 host, powerful to do good. 



Such angling societies as existed then, or many of the 

 members at any rate, were anglers only in name. They re- 

 cognised, save with rare exceptions, no fence seasons at all, 

 and as to size, bagged every living thing in the shape of a 

 fish that they could entice with either worm or gentle. It 

 was no disgrace then for an angler proudly to display in 

 the club room, as the result of his day's sport, such a col- 

 lection of fish as nowadays he dare not even bring home. 

 It was literally shocking in those degenerate days to see 

 what baby fish were slaughtered. It was sad to think 

 that men were amongst us calling themselves sportsmen — 

 Heaven save the mark ! — who were content to base their 

 claim to the title upon the wretched laurels they might 

 win by the production of such a tray of fish as would have 

 almost disgraced the doughty deeds done in the days 

 when the embryo angler sallied forth armed with a pea- 

 stick, bent pin, some stolen cotton, and a borrowed pickle 

 bottle. However, such were the facts, and I turn gladly to 

 a contemplation of the picture in our own day. 



That resolves itself into a totally different one. Anglers 

 nowadays are, in the first place, restricted by most 

 wholesome rules, which bar them from showing anything 

 but fairly good sample fish, and in the second, I fully 



