THE ANGLER'S GUIDE. 129 



anglers ; but to designate the whole of a com- 

 pany fools, because there happen to be some 

 fools among them, is very uncharitable and 

 wrong. 



Then, as it regards tackle. There are some 

 persons who seem to think that anything will 

 do to fish with ; and so long as they have a 

 rod, line, hook, and bait, that will do. And 

 such persons may have a chance, once out of 

 fifty times, to catch a fish or two, should they 

 happen to have a voracious appetite. But any 

 sort of tackle will not do for any time, and for 

 any water. If persons would be really anglers, 

 and would really catch fish, they must have 

 tackle, and it must be the best that they 

 can obtain, or they will soon see themselves 

 put into the shade, if they are fishing near 

 those who have the very best. You cannot be 

 too particular in this respect. For years we 

 tied on all our own hooks, made our own lines, 

 floats, &c. ; and we did so because we did 

 not like those made by other persons. But 

 fishing-tackle was not manufactured then as it 

 is now. At some of the, best shops in Lon- 

 don, it is brought to the highest state of per- 

 fection, and exceeds what we could now see to 

 make with eyes nearly half a century old. To 



