DIES PISCATORI^. 57<J 



patiently down and splices it. If the fracture is a compound 

 one, and it would shorten the piece too much to splice it, he 

 resorts to a sailor's device, and fishes the stick, bj binding a 

 couple of flat pieces of hard wood on each side. 



Captain Marryatt, in one of his books, says, a man's whole 

 lifetime is spent in getting into scrapes and getting out of 

 them. This is very much the case with the fly-fisher, and he 

 should always curb any feeling of haste or undue excitement, 

 remembering at such times, that if he loses his temper he is 

 apt to lose his fish, and sometimes his tackle also. 



My neighbor asked me once if Trout-fishing was not a very 

 unhealthy amusement — he thought a man must frequently 

 have damp feet. Well, it is, I answered ; but if he gets wet 

 up to his middle at the outset, and has reasonable luck, there is 



no healthier recreation. But I have sat here long enough. 



I'll fill my pipe again and try the head of that swift water — 

 If this confounded war lasts a year longer " Lynchburg" will 

 go up to three dollars a pound, but it will be cheap then 

 compared with those soaked and drugged segars that are 

 imposed upon us for the "Simon- Pure," under so many cap- 

 tivating names. At all events this is what it professes to be, 



good homely tobac Whe-e-euh ! What a dash ! and how 



strong and steady he pulls ; some old fellow " with moss on 

 his back," from under that log, no doubt of it. Is it line you 

 want ? — take it, eight — ten — fifteen feet — but no more if you 

 please. How he keeps the middle of the rift ! Don't tell me 

 about the "grace of the curve," and all that sort of thing; if 

 the bend of this rod isn't the line of beauty I never saw it 

 before, except of course in the outline of a woman's drapery. 

 Speaking of lines, I'll get a little of this in as I lead the fellow 

 down stream, even at the risk of disturbing the swim below. 

 It is the best plan with a large fish ; I have Sir Humphrey 

 Davy's authority for it, although I believe with Fisher, of the 



