146 TEOUT FISHING 



fisherman ? The passion of sport is a constitu- 

 tional quality, innate in us, neither acquired by 

 education, nor begotten of success in the pursuit. 

 It is a pleasurable excitement, which hangs in 

 one's mind, amongst fancy and imagination, but 

 it is firmly linked on the other side to the realities 

 of the stimulus, the thing exciting, and the oc- 

 cupation engaging, to whose acquaintance by 

 familiarity does it the more highly respond, and 

 with which it becomes more fondly attached; an 

 acquaintance, too, which, begun early when first 

 perceived in most rudimentary outline, develops 

 itself in enchanting fulness and thrilling effect 

 through one's entire nature. I must not dwell 

 longer on the sport of fishing; I have already 

 disclosed myself as an enthusiast kind reader, 

 think me not a fanatic on the subject. Do you 

 indulge ever in following our poets through their 

 worlds of imagination ? have you permitted your 

 fancy to conjure up in sweetest pictures their 

 ideal sketches, to exist with them awhile in the 

 elysium whose shadowy outline their wild imagi- 

 nation has traced, for you with your mind's own 

 operation to fill up in detail, and make it the more 

 sensible, the more real to. your delusion ? If so, 

 try whether within you is the spirit of appreciation 

 of sport : leave your poets ; take nature for your 

 book ; view her beauties, admire her splendour, 

 breathe her exhilarating air, and go in and 

 amongst her realities ; then if you have the power 

 to appreciate sport, you will find yourself dwelling 

 in a natural elysium, surrounded by beauties real 



