FISHING AS A SPOET. 71 



NOTE III. 



PISHING AS A SPOET. 



" Come, then, harmless Recreation, 

 Holding out the Angler's Seed; 

 Nurse of pleasing Contemplation, 

 By the stream thy wand'rings lead." 



The Anglers. 



"An honest sport that is without debate." — John Dennts. 



Angling in England and other countries — Angling compared with 

 hunting and shooting — Enthusiasm of anglers — Rationale of angling 

 — Effect of field-sports on character — Character of anglers in Izaak 

 Walton's time and afterwards — Modern anglers — London anglers — 

 Metropolitan angling clubs — Angling contests — Anglers lovers of 

 nature — " Devout " anglers — The virtues of anglers — Angling best 

 recreation for " brain- workers '' — Lady anglers. 



It may be taken for granted that centuries before Anthony 

 and Cleopatra amused themselves with angling, fishing 

 was regarded by many persons as a sport, and not only 

 as a means of capturing certain of the ferce naturae, with an 

 eye to the " pot." But in no country under the sun has 

 fishing, as a sport, ever attained the popularity it enjoys 

 at the present time in the British Isles. We are pre-emi- 

 nently an angling nation, more so now than ever we were, 

 for I estimate that, in proportion to the increase of popu- 

 lation, the number of anglers has increased by five hun- 

 dred to a thousand per cent, during the last quarter of a 



