142 Fishing in North Carolina. 



True nature students as well as genuine 

 sportsmen, follow the pursuit of the denizens of 

 the water more for the sake of head and heart, 

 than to morbidly gratify the stomach; hoping 

 to g-et before the general public a proper under- 

 standing of the relationship between man and 

 the lower order of created things ; and while 

 progressing towards this end, if the searchers 

 get delight as well as enlightenment for them- 

 selves, it is nevertheless a distinct gain for man- 

 kind. What better recompense for that soul 

 than to feel that it possesses a fairly correct 

 knowledge of the habits and purposes, on land 

 and in water, of other creatures than man ; that 

 not only fish, and birds, and beasts, and bugs, 

 had a motive in the Creation ; but even the de- 

 spised earth worm does man more practical ser- 

 vice than all the geese in Christendom, notwith- 

 standing the fact that their cackling alarm has 

 no superior in the many mechanical devices of 

 man, nor amongst women. 



There can be no manner of doubt that the 

 best fishing tackle is preferable, and that while 

 common tackle may occasionally catch more 



