OF PATIENCE, AS IT TOUCHES ANGLERS 149 



gentle water-voles. These creatures cannot under- 

 stand what he is saying. They cannot put him to 

 shame. He can invoke anything or anybody in 

 their hearing without discomfort. 



I discovered this great truth some years ago, on 

 this very water, in the following circumstances : I 

 was the sport of a cross wind, a strong current, 

 and five fat fish feeding furiously. When for the 

 sixth or seventh time the familiar crack sounded 

 in my ears, and the gut, lashed with passionate 

 vehemence across the gale, smote the water, and 

 the heavy thud which should have announced the , 

 descent of the fly did not happen, then I deliber- 

 ately and with great labour (I stood up to my 

 middle in the Clere) withdrew my right foot from 

 the soft mud and stamped it violently and without 

 sound back again. This affording me no relief, I 

 addressed flies, fish, wind, water, and myself in one 

 comprehensive and incredibly ridiculous curse. In 

 fancy's full career a movement on shore caused 

 me to turn round, and 1 perceived our decent 

 miller waddling rapidly away, and shame struck 

 me dumb. Since then I have always insisted on 

 the advantages of complete solitude. 



It is easy to reply that I am not a good angler, 

 and have no right to use myself in support of my 

 own proposition. Nay, nay ; nothing is said about 

 the patience of good anglers. It is anglers in the 



