THE PLEASURES OF COARSE-FISHING 



167 



" Carp, eel and tench do love a muddy ground : for their hobby, which is one that I 



have noticed as eminent in the satis- 



Eels under stones and hollow roots do lie, 

 The tench among thick weeds is soonest 

 found." 



faction with life on the whole which 



Every fisherman of experience will it provides. No man can be very sad, 

 confirm most of what Dennys states or very bad, who quietly follows 



the sport sae entrancing." 

 It would be a grave indignity to 



as the best hours of the day forfishing : 



the fraternity of sea anglers if we 



" From first appearing of the rising sun 

 Till nine o'clock, low under water best 

 The fish will bite ; and then from nine to noon. 



From noon to four they do refrain and rest ; forgot to refer to this branch of the 



From four again till Phoebus swift hath run , ,, , . ,. , , 



art of fishing. Sea angling has to-day 



His daily course, and setteth in the West ; 



But at the fly aloft they use to bite its thousands of enthusiasts, and year 



All summer long from nine till it be night." 



by year its methods are becoming 



I think that the rhymer is a little " finer " and its appliances more intri- 



astray in the statement that " the cate and ingenious. The hand-liner, 



fly aloft " will always entice fish " all with his thick cord and big hooks, 



summer long from nine till it be night," is quickly being superseded by the 



for July is notoriously a poor month rodman, with his more delicate tackle, 



for the fly-fisherman, whose better roach gut, and artistic ways of enticing 



chance is at dusk, and best chance of suspicious grey mullet and watchful 



all after dark. 



whiting. This new field of sport is 



To be an " all-round angler," as it a wide one. The sea is universal, 



is termed, you must master many boundless and free ; no man can 



arts, and possess intelligence and much warn you off its waters with threats 



patience. You require keen vision, of actions at law ; and the variety 



quickness of observation, skilful fingers, and quantity of the fish that swim 



calmness and perseverance. And I in it are wonderful, 



am sure that if you acquire these From the tarpon of Florida a fish 



parts and attainments as a fisherman, for giants to capture to the dabs of 



they will profit you in other pursuits Southend there is plenteous sport for 



of life. The time spent in fishing is the well-to-do or the impecunious, 



time well spent for many reasons of The sea fisherman, who trails his bait 



health and the fostering of faculties, for mackerel far out in the glittering 



In the main, anglers are good fellows, blue bay, the adventurer, who fishes 



kindly, contented, and enthusiastic for bass with the fly from the reefs 



