136 THE ANGLER'S GUIDE. 



He had not gone far among its pages before 

 his views of angling were very much changed. 

 He had hitherto been of opinion that it was 

 a silly and boyish pastime, one in which any 

 simpleton might engage, and the art of which 

 might be learnt in about five minutes ; but he 

 was now convinced that he had been labouring 

 under a great mistake. Many people think 

 many arts very easy until they attempt to ac- 

 quire a knowledge of them, and thus it is 

 with the art of angling. Any person can 

 stand by the side of a river, and hold the rod 

 and line in his hand, and throw the baited 

 hook into the water ; but to bring the fish out 

 of the water with them is quite another thing. 

 A novice, too, may perchance catch one or two 

 little, silly, hungry fish ; but to fill a basket 

 with some of the best the river contains is 

 the work only of a master of the art. 



But Mr. Bigings had had no experience, and 

 therefore did not understand these distinctions, 

 and being, as we have said, a man of an ex- 

 cellent opinion of his own abilities, he thought 

 that if he were only to go angling, he could 

 catch trout, jack, chub, roach, and dace with 

 the greatest ease, only by adopting the means 

 which Isaac Walton described, forgetting that 



