166 THE BOOK OF THE OPEN AIR 



bobbing float, and note the changing swam towards me across the stream, 



influence of the light upon the colour and looked with surprised gaze for 



of the water, the tone of the foliage, an instant in my face. And how 



the pageant of an autumn sunset. often have the herons swooped down 



Coarse-fishing (save the designa- close to me, the wild ducks peeped 



tion !) is a fitting amusement for the from the sedge, the coots croaked their 



thoughtful, the author, the philosopher, friendliness, the voles surveyed me 



and especially for the poet. There is curiously, and the blackbirds and 



something healing and boon in the thrushes warbled in the nearest bush, 



recreation for the man of affairs and It is a great thing, too, to know 



those whose lives are spent in bustle, the secrets of a river ; to point here 



Fishing of this inactive order was the in this eddy and say : " There, I 



enjoyment of men so diverse in char- know, lives a very big perch that I 



acter as George Borrow, Herbert Spen- have seen from time to time during 



cer, Charles Bradlaugh, and Millais, these five years " ; or to have learned 



ah 1 of them strenuous workers, and that on the worst of days one may 



yet very boys at this pleasant play with assurance resort to yonder bend 



with rod and line. for a few silvery dace. Such water- 



I often have serenely sweet dreams craft, or knowledge of a river, increases 



of fishing, but never nightmares of threefold the interest in a stroll on 



this gentle sport. We love to recall its quiet banks. You have a lore 



and think upon angling days, because that the casual person lacks ; you 



these are the hours of untrammelled possess an insight which inspires pride, 



living, spent in the soothing company Every season teaches you much that 



of Nature's wild children, and whisper- is strange and fresh, for no two fishing 



ing willows and aspens, out of the days are alike, and this sport is 



reach of the human babble and roar, notable for odd adventures and curious 



All things, except fish, confide in the mishaps. An observant and reflective 



fisherman. I was sitting by the Nor- fisherman was old John Dennys. He 



folk Bure, when a swaUow perched knew many of the esoterics, and could 



upon my rod, and chirped to me. By read most of the signs of Nature. 



a pool of the Dee, in Wales, the stoat This angler and poet lived before 1613, 



led her family of five close to my and wrote verses upon coarse-fishing, 



feet, and in a river in Spain an otter He tells us that : 



