128 THE ANGLER'S GUIDE. 



they speak of, and especially the fish, with 

 the power of a telescope ; any particular fish 

 they have taken will increase in weight more 

 and more every time they speak of it, until 

 it becomes at last quite a monster, and every 

 really sensible person to whom the story is 

 told sees at a glance that it is a downright 

 piece of fudge. All such persons as these, 

 and others that might be mentioned, bring 

 angling and anglers into disrepute. Always 

 tell the truth, in angling as in everything else, 

 and then you will always be believed. The 

 conduct of anglers, as well as that of all other 

 men, will be observed by those around, and 

 will be spoken of according to its merits or 

 faults. That very poetical and sublime defi- 

 nition of angling by Dr. Johnson, viz. that " it 

 was a fool at one end, and a maggot at the 

 other," was called forth, no doubt, by taking 

 notice of a number of some such persons as 

 we have hinted at. But it is not unlikely 

 that the Doctor forgot that anglers might be 

 looked at, and ridiculed by many worse fools 

 than themselves. It must be obvious to all, 

 that many persons attempt to become this, 

 that, and the other, for which they are not 

 at all qualified, and so it is with respect to 



