CHAPTER II 



ANGLING IN A CRATER 



IT is not all fish when one goes a-fishing, de- 

 spite the popular theory to the contrary. 

 Angling should be approached as an art, as a 

 great philosophy in cognate form ; results should 

 be mere incidents. Indeed, there are men who 

 possess themselves with delight even when the 

 game escapes. But of all anglers Walton 

 pointed out the bright and shining way for fol- 

 lowers of the guild. Listen to his idea of an 

 angling day; hardly a word about fishing: 



Look! under that broad beech-tree I sat down, 

 when I was last this way a-fishing; and the birds 

 in the adjoining grove seemed to have a friendly 

 contention with an echo, whose dead voice seemed 

 to live in a hollow tree near to the brow of that 

 primrose-hill. There I sat viewing the silver streams 

 glide silently towards their centre, the tempestuous 

 sea; yet sometimes opposed by rugged roots and 

 pebble-stones, which broke their waves, and turned 

 them into foam; and sometimes I beguiled time by 

 viewing the harmless lambs; some leaping securely 



