1* ANGLING. 



perplexing inventions the old skill and the old appliances 

 have not lost their charm, and will yet secure a basket of 

 fish when the modern patent inventions are completely at 

 fault. A formidable list of articles is occasionally given as 

 necessary for an angler's outfit, suggesting the necessity 

 of a museum in which to store and label them. Anglers 

 are generally vain about their equipment, and our grand- 

 fathers thought a particular coat of a dark colour aided the 

 sport. The materials necessary for angling will depend in 

 a great measure on the locality and nature of the sport, 

 whether fly, trolling, or bottom-fishing. We have seen good 

 sport obtained with a willow rod, a horse-hair line with a 

 bit of dried sedge for a float, when the most expensive out- 

 fit was* comparatively useless for the purposes of sport. 

 Attention to minutia? is of infinitely more value than a 

 mere expensive outfit. Skill is of more importance than 

 costly appliances, though useless by itself ; and even science 

 is valueless without experience. 



Of course the angler must have a rod, and on the choice 

 of one he can exercise his taste, for they are as varied in 

 size, weight, material, pliancy, and price as the most 

 fastidious could wish. Any tackle-dealer will be only 

 "too happy" to satisfy the heart's desire of the young 

 angler, who, however, should know what he requires. 



The bottom-fisher's rod should be strong and light, just 

 springy enough to strike a fish quickly, and sufficiently 

 supple to equalise the pressure from top to butt. Though 

 it need not be so limber as that used for fly-fishing, it 

 should taper with equal precision from the butt to the top. 

 The length depends upon whether it is to be used from 

 a boat or punt, or from a bank. The average length of a 

 bank rod should be about seventeen feet. In some in- 



