40 THE COMPLETE SPORTSMAN 



The subject of fishing divides itself naturally 

 under four headings: tackle, bait, modes of 

 procedure, and — I shall remember the fourth 

 presently. Of these the first, though un- 

 doubtedly the most important, is by no means 

 the easiest upon which to dogmatize satis- 

 factorily. 



It must, of course, be obvious that no two 

 kinds of fish, and no two methods of angling 

 demand the use of the same tackle; that it 

 would be as foolish to trawl for tarpon with a 

 light ten-foot split-cane trout-rod and a thin 

 horsehair cast, as it would be to sniggle for 

 lithe and saith (whatever these may be) with a 

 wire cable attached to a hop-pole. To dwell 

 upon a commonplace of this kind would be to 

 waste my valuable time and weary the reader, 

 and though the latter be a minor consideration, 

 it is one which in certain circumstances should 

 not be entirely overlooked. It will therefore 

 be sufficient for my purpose to limit this disser- 

 tation upon fishing-tackle to a few words of 

 counsel and warning, based upon a wide ex- 

 perience of every form and variety of angling 

 gear with which it has been my good-fortune 

 to become acquainted in the course of a long 

 and (I trust) not altogether futile career. 



