CHAPTER VII 



SOME CONTROVERSIES 



IT is one of the proofs of the strong hold which 

 trout fishing has on their affections that its devotees 

 are at any moment ready to engage in prolonged 

 argument about its various methods and devices. 

 I suppose all of us have at some time or other upheld 

 with vigour a point of view which has not com- 

 mended itself to our very good friend and neighbour, 

 and consequently been let in for that battle of 

 irrelevancies which commonly constitutes the human 

 disputation. The worst of argument is that people 

 get led on by sheer lust of battle, and in the hope of 

 scoring some minor point are betrayed into saying 

 something which is in excess of their real opinion. 

 That said, they are then under the regrettable neces- 

 sity of sticking to it, have to find further support 

 for it in contentions which are purely advanced for 

 that purpose, and so end up in a thoroughly false 

 position, ruefully conscious of the fact that they 

 are now committed to a confession of faith which by 

 no means coincides with their inner belief. 



Probably that fine old battle-cry " upstream or 



119 



