VERY few anglers are "all round" men i.e., 

 devote themselves to the pursuit of all branches 

 of angling alike. Most men cherish a liking for 

 some particular branch of their art until it grows 

 into a hobby. Thus we have the different classes 

 of fly-fishers, bottom-fishers, salmon-fishers and 

 trout-fishers, pike-fishers and roach-fishers, barbel- 

 fishers and gudgeon-fishers; and each class stands 

 by its favourite pursuit, and declares it to be the 

 only true kind of angling. I can turn my hand 

 to all these branches on occasion, and enjoy them 

 all, but above all do I like pike-fishing. That is 

 my hobby, and in that do I glory. I would rather 

 have one day's pike-fishing than have a dozen days 

 of any other kind of fishing. The pike is such a 

 savage brute, he rushes at your bait with such 

 vigour and ferocity, his jaws close so firmly upon 

 the fish which has lured him, he shakes his head 

 so fiercely, and fights to the death with such 

 tenacity and pluck, that one feels great pride in 

 subduing him. The captive trout or salmon gives 

 more dashing play, no doubt ; but then these 

 seem to be the struggles of mad terror, and a 



