IV THE ANGLER'S TEMPER ^ ^ ^ 



SOME of the old writers were more diffuse on the 

 mental and moral qualities necessary to successful 

 angling than are the authors of to-day, perhaps because 

 discussion of those things was then more in fashion. 

 But there is plenty of scope for the modern angler to 

 meditate on such abstract matters as faith, hope, and 

 charity in connection with his pastime ; the mutability 

 of things, the why and the how philosophical specula- 

 tion undoubtedly has its place in angling. Most 

 absorbing, perhaps, are the mental processes of the 

 angler in the course of any given day's fishing. His 

 temper, for example, is in itself material for lifelong 

 study. What event or series of events is most trying 

 to it ? When lost, how is it recovered ? How, in the 

 name of all that is wonderful, does it come about that 

 sometimes it is not lost ? What happens to the angler 

 and his fishing when it has been thoroughly lost ? Is 

 loss of temper a contagious malady, communicable, 

 perhaps, through long rows of fishermen in a monster 

 competition ? Is an oath sworn in tribulation 

 necessarily binding ? 



One might easily fill a book with questions bearing 

 on this topic, and several other books with answers 



42 



