THE BRITISH ANGLER'S LEXICON. 7 



amidst the balmy breaths of spring or the genial warmth 

 of summer, combines to create in his breast a real interest in 

 the varied forms of the animal and vegetable life that he 

 sees around him, and to elevate his mind by dwelling on the 

 bounties that the Giver of all Good has thus lavishly placed at 

 his disposal. It is a healthy pursuit, too, bringing into active 

 exercise all the muscles of the body, and clearing the mind 

 that has become fogged by the cares of business. It 

 becomes a passion all-enthralling, and when once it takes 

 hold of a man, he prefers it to all other amusements. Other 

 sports may be more exciting, but there are none requiring 

 more intelligence, vigilance, and skill. His quarry is ever 

 on the alert, and, with all man's superior knowledge, he 

 often fails to convince the fish that he is not a fraud. An 

 angler a good one is so by instinct, the love of and the 

 proficiency in it grows from his youth, and, unknown to him- 

 self, he develops into an expert in the art. No education 

 will make a good angler if his inclination be against it. 

 The appliances used in angling look very puny for the work 

 that has to be done a line like gossamer, a fragile rod, and 

 a liliputian hook, with a barb so small that it is almost 

 invisible to the naked eye with these he essays to capture 

 the monsters of the deep, which, if they only knew how little 

 they had to contend against, would soon settle the matter 

 with a judicious flop of their tail, and leave the angler " on 

 the shore lamenting." A light hand, a quick eye, a good 

 temper, and the patience of Job, are all essential requi- 

 sites to make a successful angler. 'Tis said that a man 

 who is fond of chess always turns out a professor of the 

 gentle art ; this is because he owns all the above quali- 

 fications, with the addition of thought and intelligence. 

 Various are the lures adopted in angling first, the natural 



