A Defense of Fishermen 



In the first place, all the presump- 

 tions are with the fisherman's conten- 

 tion. It is perfectly plain that large 

 fish are more apt to escape than small 

 ones. Of course their weight and 

 activity, combined with the increased 

 trickiness and resourcefulness of age 

 and experience, greatly increase their 

 ability to tear out the hook, and en- 

 hance the danger that their antics will 

 expose a fatal weakness in hook, lead- 

 er, line or rod. Another presump- 

 tion which must be regretfully men- 

 tioned, arises from the fact that in 

 many cases the encounter with a large 

 fish causes such excitement, and such 

 distraction or perversion of judgment, 

 on the part of the fisherman as leads 

 him to do the wrong thing or fail 

 to do the right thing at the critical 

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