208 THE DRY FLY AND FAST WATER 



handling. Happily, this tribe is not increasing, 

 because of the persistent efforts of true sports- 

 men who do not hesitate to denounce it publicly 

 whenever opportunity arises. Perhaps it is per- 

 missible to hope that the pot-hunter and the 

 fish hog may in time disappear, but, if this de- 

 sirable end is to be brought about, true sports- 

 men must not shun their duty but must wage 

 unceasing war against them. 



Books on angling abound in word-pictures de- 

 scriptive of the strenuous battle of the hooked 

 fish to escape its captor, many such pictures 

 being so vividly drawn that the reader fairly 

 imagines himself in the writer's waders, his ex- 

 citement ending only when the captive is in the 

 net. It is meet, therefore, that some considera- 

 tion be given to the point of view of those anglers 

 who believe that great merit attaches to him 

 who lands a good fish on light tackle. 



There can be no question of the excitement 

 attending the playing of a good trout nor of 

 the skill required in its handling, and this excite- 

 ment, in proportion to the ideas of the indi- 

 vidual, is a greater or less measure of the sport; 

 but, given the opportunity, it is my opinion 

 that, in the hands of a skilful angler, the rod 

 will kill nine out of ten fish hooked. Be that 



