FIELD SPORTS ON CHARACTER 7 



Fishing teaches perseverance. The man in 

 Punch, who on Friday did not know whether he 

 had had good sport, because he only began on 

 Wednesday morning, is a caricature ; but, like all 

 caricatures, has an element of truth in it. To 

 succeed as an angler, whether of the kingly salmon, 

 or the diminutive gudgeon, an ardour is necessary 

 which is not damped by repeated want of success ; 

 and he who is hopeless because he has no sport at 

 first will never fully appreciate fishing. So too the 

 tyro, who catches liis line in a rock, or twists it in 

 an apparently inexplicable manner in a tree, soon 

 finds that steady patience will set him free far 

 sooner than impetuous vigour or ruthless strength. 

 The skilled angler does not abuse the weather or 

 the water in impotent despair, but makes the most 

 of the resources which he has, and patiently hopes 

 an improvement therein. 



Delicacy and gentleness are also taught by 

 fishing. It is here especially that — 



" Vis consili expers mole ruit sua, 

 Vim temperatam di quoqiie provelumt in majus." 



Look at the thin link of gut and the slight rod 

 with which the huge trout or " never ending monster 

 of a salmon " is to be caught. No brute force will 

 do there, every struggle of the prey must be met by 

 judicious yielding on the part of the captor, who 



