THE ANGLERS SOUVENIR. 



gress ; and from this day forward, \vhen time and 

 tide serve, will he fish by rapid stream and broad 

 river, by highland loch and lowland mere ; until, 

 ' ' sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans every- 

 thing," he relapse into childhood again. 



The boy who has thus auspiciously entered on 

 his novitiate proceeds gradually until he takes a 

 master's degree, an honour to which no one is 

 admitted before he has performed the qualifying 

 act of hooking and landing, without assistance, a 

 salmon not less than fourteen pounds weight ; after 

 which he ought, on producing his testimonium. to 

 have the entree of every angling club throughout 

 Great Britain and Ireland. Should there be no 

 salmon-fishing in the waters where he exercises his 

 skill, then a jack of the same weight, also taken 

 without assistance, or a stone and a half of trout, 

 half a hundredweight of barbel, or a peck of dace, 

 roach, or perch, caught in a day's fair fishing, not 

 in dock or pond, may be allowed as a qualification, 

 speciali gratia, for the same degree. It is here to 

 be noted that bream may be allowed instead of 

 barbel, or be weighed with them, if taken in the 

 same day's fishing ; and that carp and tench may 

 be weighed with trout. Eels are not reckoned ; 

 and gudgeon-fishers are always to be considered in 

 a state of pupilage, and their take not to be ad- 

 mitted in proof of angling skill, either by weight, 

 tale, or measure. Gudgeon-fishing, as Michael 

 Angelo said of oil-painting, is only fit for women 



