CHAPTER VI 



A LITTLE ENTOMOLOGY 



f | ^HE modern angler expends much time in 



the study of his beloved pastime ; he realises 



that there are joys in fishing beyond the 



mere capture of fish, and the results of the interest 



he displays in everything in the slightest degree 



connected with the sport are evident all around. 



Very few are now content with what used to 

 satisfy thoroughly their forefathers. Consider the 

 vast improvement that has been made in rods ; 

 the dainty weapon of the present day is but a toy 

 in comparison with the long, heavy, unwieldy 

 rod of our ancestors, and it is capable of giving 

 more efficient service and in addition infinitely 

 greater pleasure than its cumbrous predecessor. 

 Reels and lines have been improved almost out of 

 recognition, while there has been a refinement in 

 casts and flies and tackle generally which is obvious 

 to anyone having a few years' experience of ang- 

 ling. These changes have been partly necessitated 

 by the advancing education of trout, a consequence 

 of the ever-increasing popularity of angling as a 

 sport ; but they are also largely due to the angler's 

 demands for comfort and enjoyment. He objects 

 to use implements which call for an excessive 

 expenditure of energy ; but what principally receives 



55 



