American Fisheries Society 113 



times and he is a considerable pest to the community. He 

 admits that in recent years he has neglected his fishing 

 shamefully, preferring flowery beds of ease, but he swears 

 by all the big and little fishes that when spring comes again 

 and the fish are on the bite he will do nothing else but fish. 

 The spring time comes and he falls into a curious kind of 

 indolence known as spring fever. He puts oiT going fishing 

 from day to day and drags through the work at the office. 

 He takes less interest in the talk of fish and hastily admits 

 that he has not wet a line this year. He idles away the sum- 

 mer time and along about three days from the end of the sea- 



Arrived there he finds that his hand has lost its cunning. 

 He tears his clothes and breaks his fishing tackle. He dashes 

 his foot against a stone and falls down in the cold water. 

 His bones are soft and he suffers from rheumatism. H he is 

 \-ery, very wicked, he seeks consolation in the flowing bowl. 

 The fish refuse to respond. He gets tired, cold, wet and 

 miserable, and he knows that he is aging. He remembers 

 with regret the summer frittered away in the sordid cares of 

 l)usiness. He accuses himself of degenerating from a noble 

 animal to the level of a common work horse. Six days at the 

 office trying to get the better of some other men, and his Sun- 

 days passed in slumber in his comfortable pew. He resolves 

 never to neglect his fishing again, but every year the work 

 liabit is more securel}- fastened upon him and he never gets 

 back his lost heritage. He will not admit it however. He 

 will still claim to be a fisherman and any day except in the 

 season, he will boast and brag of his powers. For him, "each 

 year brings less summer clieer, cramps more his ineffectual 

 spring, and something earlier every year, his singing birds 

 take wing." Am I not right in classing this sportsman as a 

 faker ? 



But contrast this man with the one who never lets busi- 

 ness interfere with his fishing. He is after the fish from early 

 to late. He speedily gets used to the hardships of his favorite 

 sport. His face bronzes over and his muscles harden and he 



