Fishing in North Carolina. 57 



earnestly hoped that the next Legislature will 

 enact a law that will at least make such close 

 seasons as will protect all game fish as well as 

 strictly food fishes from destruction during the 

 spawning period. No owner of private water 

 can reasonably object, since it is to his advant- 

 age as well as to the people generally. Such a 

 law would be more easily enforced than a game 

 law, because the temptation to violate it is less. 



A fisherman ought certainly to be able to 

 swim. It is not only a desirable, but almost a 

 necessary accomplishment. It is more easily 

 learned than dancing, and it does not require 

 the aid of a fiddler, nor is grace such an impor- 

 tant part. It is also nice to be able to float, 

 whereby one rests himself after swimming. It 

 is not so easy to learn as swimming and neces- 

 sitates the possession of a lung capacity equal to 

 that of a bull frog. I can float for hours with- 

 out exertion. I do not know how I learned the 

 art. 



Passing a mill pond one Sunday down in 

 Harnett County along the dirt dam which was 

 used as a public road, I saw half a dozen young 



