THE ANGLER'S GUIDE. 127 



home one that we had not caught, and said 

 we had caught it ; and we know many of 

 the same cast of mind ; we should have no 

 pleasure in any such conduct. The pleasure 

 an angler feels when showing fish, arises 

 from the fact of his having really caught 

 them, and thus having performed, by his skill 

 and perseverance, what many other persons 

 could not. There are others, on the other 

 hand, who will talk of angling as though it 

 were one of the most important and useful 

 sciences in the world, and thereby bring upon 

 them the jeers of all who hear them, especially 

 of those who happen to be extremely short of 

 patience and have not the least relish for fish. 

 And you frequently see this, not only among 

 anglers, but among huntsmen and gun sports- 

 men, &c. Let it always be remembered that 

 angling is only a recreation, and should only 

 be followed and spoken of as such ; we may 

 speak of it as we would of gardening, cricket- 

 ing, rowing, or any other recreation, and only 

 in that way. There are other persons who 

 have a knack of talking very extravagantly 

 about the places they have been to, the fish 

 they have seen, and those they have caught, 

 &c., and their tongues will magnify everything 



