254 



THE CABINET OF NATURAL HISTORY 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE CINCINNATI ANGLING CLUB. 



Doubt not, therefore, sir, but that Angling is an art worth your learning: 

 the iiuestion is, ratlicr, whether you be capable of learning it? for Angling 

 is somewhat like poetry, men are born so: I mean with inclinations to it — 

 though both may be strengthened by discourse and practice : but he that 

 hopes to be a good Angler, must not only bring an inquiring, searching, ob- 

 serving wit ; but he must bring a large measure of hope and patience, and a 

 propensity to the art itself; but having once got and practised it, then doubt 

 not but Angling will prove so pleasant, that it vn\l be like virtue, a reward 

 to itself. 



And for you that have heard many grave, serious men, pity anglers, let 

 me tell you, sir, there be many men that are by others taken to be serious 

 and grave men, whom wc consider and pity. Men that are taken to be grave 

 because nature has made them of a sour complexion — money-getting men — 

 men that spend all their time, first, getting, and next in anxious care to 

 keep it — men that are condemned to be rich, and then always busy or dis- 

 contented; for these poor, rich, men, we Anglers pity them perfectly, and 

 stand in no need to borrow their thoughts to tliink ourselves so happy. 



IZAAK WALTON. 



PISCATORIAL CELEBRATION. 



SojNiE lovers of the Bod, resident in this city, conform- 

 ing to the spirit of the times in regard to associations, have 

 recently united themselves under the style and title of the 

 Cincinnati Angling Club. A constitution has been 

 adopted, and by-laws established for their future govern- 

 ment. The number of members is limited to twevty-five. 

 The officers are, a President, Vice President, Secretary, 

 and three Counsellors. Four regular meetings are to be 

 held in each year, the last of which, — the first Thursday of 

 October, — is the Anniversary, at which time the members 

 of the Club dine together, and have either a discourse deli- 

 vered to them upon angling and ichthyology, or else a 

 chapter read to them from the poges of "honest old Izaak 



Walton." A record of all the piscatory proceedings of 

 the members, is kept by the Secretary, it being the duty of 

 each one of the Club, to report, upon his return from an 

 angling excursion, the nature and extent of his success with 

 the finny tribe. 



The first anniversary of the Club took place on Thursday 

 of last week. It was celebrated at Col. William Clark's, 

 on White Water, about twenty miles north-west of this 

 city. A part of the brethren made a lodgment at this point 

 on Wednesday, and were joined by others, with a few 

 invited guests, (among whom, thanks to our good luck, we 

 were numbered,) on the morning of the following day. Of 

 the whole number present, not more than 12 or 15 engaged 

 with the rod. These angled for a day and a half, and 

 with capital success, having caught within that time, three 

 hundred and fifty-three Bass and Salmon, many of the 

 former being unusually large. One of the Bass, caught by 

 the superior skill of the President, after a sevfere contest, 

 weighed j'?ue pounds two ounces, being the largest fish, of 

 that kind, ever taken by an angler from the waters of the 

 JMiami. 



At five o'clock, P. M. the company, about thirty in num- 

 ber, sat down to a table, richly stored with the ichthyolo- 

 gical treasures, which their skill had drawn from the neigh- 

 bouring streams. They were served up in every variety 

 of form that could delight the eye or please the taste, hav- 

 ing been dressed by experienced cooks, in nine or ten dif- 

 ferent modes. The " noble Bass" caught by the President, 

 was placed in front of him, at the head of the table. After 

 the company had borne ample testimony to the excellence 

 of the dishes, and giving satisfactory proof of possessing a 

 very reasonable portion of good taste, the following intel- 



