II: THE BROOK-ANGLER'S EQUIPMENT 



TO the angler whose training in the great 

 school of experience has been limited, a 

 study of the dealers' catalogues would 

 convey the impression that quite a large assort- 

 ment of wares for the capture of trout is desirable 

 if not indispensable. An old hand at the game 

 would soon undeceive him, with the material 

 result of considerable advantage to his pocket. 



I knew an old poacher in Ireland whose scanty 

 tackle found room and to spare in a tattered 

 penny song-book, and whose rod was not worth 

 half-a-crown, who until he let me into some of his 

 secrets used to confound and astonish me by his 

 marvellous takes of trout. Of course, it was not 

 that his paucity of paraphernalia had anything to 

 do with it ; it was the man, not the tackle. 



Nor do I suggest that the brook-fisher should 

 go to work with so poor an equipment ; but the 

 fact is there are so many pseudo-ingenious devices 

 for trout-catching advertised that one is liable to 

 waste money on articles, some wholly unneces- 

 sary, many practically useless. For actual work 

 it is surprising how little gear is really required. 



