34 AMERICAN ANGLER'S BOOK. 



done his best, and looks hopefully forward to a more pro- 

 pitious day. Whether from boat or rocky shore, or along 

 the sedgy bank of the creek, or the stony margin of the 

 mountain brook, he deems it an achievement to take fish 

 when they are difficult to catch, and his satisfaction is in 

 proportion. If he is lazy, or a superannuated angler, he can 

 even endure a few days' trolling on an inland lake, and 

 smokes his cigar, chats with the boatman, and takes an 

 occasional '^nip," as he is rowed along the wooded shore and 

 amongst the beautiful islands. 



A true angler is generally a modest man ; unobtrusively 

 communicative when he can impart a new idea ; and is evei 

 ready to let a pretentious tyro have his say, and good- 

 naturedly (as if merely suggesting how it should be done) 

 repairs his tackle, or gets him out of a scrape. He is 

 moderately provided with all tackle and " fixins" necessary 

 to the fishing he is in pursuit of. Is quietly self-reliant and 

 equal to almost any emergen c}^ from splicing his rod or 

 tying his own flies, to trudging ten miles across a rough 

 country with his luggage on his back. His enjoyment con- 

 sists not only in the taking of fish : he draws much pleasure 

 from the soothing influence and delightful accompaniments 

 of the art. 



With happy memories of the past summer, he joins to- 

 gether the three pieces of his fly-rod at home, when the 

 scenes of the last season's sport are wrapped in snow and ice, 

 and renews the glad feelings of long summer days. With 

 what interest he notes the swelling of the buds on the maples, 

 or the advent of the blue-bird and robin, and looks forward 

 to the day when he is to try another cast! and, when it 

 comes at last, with what pleasing anticipations he packs up 

 his ''traps," and leaves his business cares and the noisy city 

 behind, and after a few hours' or few days' travel in the cars. 



