Fishcraft 41 



cessful ; but there are many things in 

 regard to what may be termed the 

 "taking times" of the day, or of the 

 season, and as to the particular 

 stream you intend to whip in the 

 eager race for good fishing, that can 

 be learned only by patience and per- 

 sistent study at first hand. 



Having mastered, as nearly as pos- 

 sible, the three great problems of how, 

 where and when, no keen devotee re- 

 quires a word as to the "why" of 

 trout fishing. Probably Sir Edgerton 

 Brydges gave convincing analysis as 

 any when he said of recreation with 

 rod and gun : 



"It is a mingled rapture, and we find 

 The bodily spirit mounting to the mind." 



The special advocates of this branch 

 of angling may perhaps feel inclined 

 to alter a well-known saying, by de- 

 claring that God doubtless might have 

 given to mankind a better pastime 

 than that of fishing for brook trout, 

 but it is certain that God never did. 

 The place of honor, in the annals of 

 angling, is usually given to this hand- 



