148 AN ANGLER AT LARGE 



point on the bank, previously chosen, is delightful. 

 To spend half an hour in idle, pleasant chat makes 

 a welcome break in the business of the day. But 

 when I am actually fishing," he says, " I like to 

 be quite alone." I wonder if it has ever occurred 

 to his non-angling hearers that he may have more 

 reasons than one for his love of solitude ? They 

 probably think that he wishes to attune his soul 

 to nature. Not a bit of it ! He wants to be able 

 to swear at his ease. Ordinary swearing thrives 

 on companionship ; but angling calls for extra- 

 ordinary swearing, and for this one must be alone. 

 Up to a point swearing is a pleasant and amusing 

 exercise ; beyond that point it becomes ridiculous. 

 But to be ridiculous there must be someone to do 

 the ridiculing. An angler in his greater moments 

 of expansion ceases to have any sense of humour, 

 and cannot himself provide the audience necessary 

 to perceive his own ridiculousness. If, then, some- 

 one is standing by when one of these great 

 moments comes to him, he is unable to expand, 

 or, if he expands, he becomes ridiculous, and in 

 either case he is uncomfortable. Therefore he 

 declines companionship ; therefore he prates about 

 his communion with nature, his love of remote and 

 solitary places, of the broad, empty meadows and 

 the long, silent reaches. Therefore he demands 

 the companionship of the innocent birds and the 



