DIES PISOATORI^. 573 



patiently down and splices it. If the fracture is a compound 

 one, and it would shorten the piece too much to splice it, he 

 resorts to a sailor's device, and fishes the stick, by binding a 

 couple of flat pieces of hard wood on each side. 



Captain Marryatt, in ope of his books, says, a man's whole 

 lifetime is spent in getting into scrapes and getting out of 

 them. This is very much the case with the fly-fisher, and he 

 should always curb any feeling of haste or undue excitement, 

 remembering at-such times, that if he loses his temper he is 

 apt to lose his fish, and sometimes his tackle also. 



My neighbor asked me once if Trout-fishing was not a very 

 unhealthy amusement — he thought a man must frequently 

 have damp feet. Well, it is, I answered ; but if he gets wet 

 up to his middle at the outset, and has reasonable luck, there is 

 no healthier recreation.— — But I have sat here long enough . 

 I'll fill my pipe again and try the head of that swift water — 

 If this confounded war lasts a year longer " Lynchburg" will 

 go up to three dollars a pound, but it will be cheap then 

 compared with those soaked and drugged segars that are 

 imposed upon us for the "Simon- Pure," under so many cap- 

 tivating names. At all events this is what it professes to be, 



good homely tobac Whe-e-euh ! What a dash ! and how 



strong and steady he pulls ; some old fellow " with moss on 

 his back," from under that log, no doubt of it. Is it line you 

 want ? — take it, eight — ^ten — fifteen feet — but no more if you 

 please. How he keeps the middle of the rift ! Don't tell me 

 about the " grace of the curve," and all that sort of thing ; if 

 the bend of this rod isn't the line of beauty I never saw it 

 before, except of course in the outline oi a woman's drapery. 

 Speaking of lines, I'll get a little of this in as I lead the fellow 

 down stream, even at the risk of disturbing the swim below. 

 It is the best plan with a large fish ; I have Sir Humphrey 

 Davy's authority for it, although I believe with Fisher, of the 



