INTRODUCTORY 23 



basket should be as heavy as those of others who 

 have been fishing the same water. Whenever his 

 basket is heavier than his rival's, he is delighted, 

 and is probably not a little disappointed if, when 

 he thinks he has done well, he finds at the end of 

 the day that some one else has done much better. 

 There is an age at which nearly every one who 

 is keen must be competitive, but as long as 

 this lasts an angler has not yet attained to the 

 greatest enjoyment of his sport. He is missing 

 more pleasure than he gains ; and he is prevent- 

 ing himself from having that detachment of mind, 

 and freedom and independence of spirit, which 

 are among the charms of angling. An angler 

 who is keen will work hard, but he should do it 

 without the sense of strain which comes from 

 trying to beat his own records, or those of others, 

 By all means let us find satisfaction to the end in 

 having a heavy or the heaviest basket, but do 

 not let us make this the prime object of the day. 

 Rather let each day's enjoyment stand upon its 

 own merits without being made comparative 



As our skill increases we reach the third stage, 

 that of caring for skill more for its own sake and 

 less entirely for the results. There comes to be 



