48 AN ANGLER AT LARGE 



pike and the habits of eels. But the winner of 

 casting tournaments is not, from that fact alone, 

 a good angler. He is a long caster. And the 

 student is very seldom a good angler. He gains 

 distinction in a totally different field. He is in 

 the same plane of existence with the Astronomer, 

 the Classic, and Mr. Datas. I do not say that the 

 Fly-casting Champion or the diligent reader of 

 angling books cannot be also a good angler, but 

 if he is, it is not by reason of his medals or his 

 library. 



An angler let us confine ourselves to chalk- 

 stream fishing a chalk- stream angler may be a 

 good caster of flies, may have a good knowledge 

 of water insects and of the fishes' ways, and yet 

 not be a good chalk-stream angler. He may be a 

 good strategist as well, and a good man to boot, 

 but unless he catches fish (honourably always 

 understood) he is not a good angler. Again, I do 

 not insist on his always catching fish. There are 

 days when the Sainted Peter himself should 

 return with an empty creel. But any man who 

 can go forth day after day to this teeming stream 

 and not have trout or graylings to show, though 

 he cast like Marry at and know like Francis, I say 

 that he is a bad fisherman. Something is wrong. 

 Such a man will come in at night with nothing 

 but a tale of woe. There was no fly ; there was 



