SPIRIT OF THE CHASE 13 



All this is hardly less delightful than what we 

 expect to follow. How is the spell of the sport to 

 be explained ? 



Many would say that it springs from joy of the 

 open air. At ordinary times they live in towns, 

 engaged in the bustle of commerce or of social 

 pleasure : to be amid fresh scenes, fresh sounds, fresh 

 silences, is a relief. This one can understand ; but 



it is scarce sufficient. Mr. H , who resides in 



the Temple and is Recorder of a great town in York- 

 shire, is one of those to whom fishing is pleasurable 

 simply because it is a change of occupation. He 

 came with the learned Judge and me to Loch Lub- 

 naig, and one morning had been fishing by himself. 

 I asked his gillie, who had come for some particular 

 fly, how the Recorder was getting on. "No vera 

 weel, sir," said Angus, sighing. " His e'en are no' 

 on the flees for mair than a second at a time. He's 

 aye for lookin' at the ha'ks an' the craws, up the hull. 

 His Worship is an oarnithoaloger, or a penter, or 

 somethin' o' that sort, maybe; but he'll niver be a 

 fisher. The Recoarder's wanderin' i' the mind." 

 Angus made this report with sad gravity, and, after 

 examining the new fly, went away with no spring in 

 his gait. 



He was, I think, quite right. Some men are 

 born to be sportsmen ; others are not. To any one 

 who has the instinct of the chase, the first salmon, 

 probably caught at a time when his nature was most 

 impressionable, is an undying influence. It was a 

 unique event. It was a surprise, something wholly 



