THAMES AKGLING. 359 



heat. He is " friend, philosopher, guide/' all in one, and 

 from sunrise to sunset your " most obedient, humble," 

 devoted and withal scientific, servant. "What can you 

 want more ? And yet more you can have if you wish it, 

 and often when you don't. He will talk the livelong day 

 — de omnibus rebus el quibusdam aliis — and especially de 

 rebus piscatoriis, being a very walking, or rather sitting or 

 standing, encyclopaedia of Thames fishing and general 

 halieutics. And who shall blame him ? Though perhaps 

 you, as a scientific angler, may know quite as much about 

 fishing as he does, he considers he is as much paid for 

 talking as for attendance ; and it would be well if some 

 anglers listened to his talk and followed his advice. 



No young professional fisherman has a better chance of 

 learning all there is to learn about fishing, at least about 

 Thames fishing. The Thames fisherman of even a few 

 years' experience has had the opportunity of seeing and 

 hearing a vast deal about fishing from his " customers," 

 as well as of gaining practical knowledge himself, especially 

 of the best way of fishing what may be called his own 

 waters. He sees all the dodges and expedients of a 

 variety of anglers, many of whom on the Thames are con- 

 summate artists ; he notices all the successes and failures, 

 if he is observant, as he generally is ; he hears all the 

 latest theories, and ponders them in his heart. As a rule, 

 therefore, though they may not have much originality 

 about them, Thames fishermen are thoroughly " up to 

 their work," and he who would wish to become a 

 thoroughly practical angler, cannot do better than sit at 

 the feet of these piscatorial Gamaliels, hear all they have 

 to say, and try to copy all they do. 



A special characteristic of the Thames professional fisher- 



