310 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Oct. 19, 1901. 
Til! floating broad upon his breathless side, 
And to his fate abandon'd, to the shore 
You gaily drag your unresisting prize. 
In contrast to these impartial attitudes, Byron seems 
to have indulged an almost savage dislike of anglers and 
a lofty scorn of their craft. Thus, in the io6th stanza of 
Canto XIII. of "Don Juan," among- the amusements of 
the guests at a country house-party, he mentions: 
* * *Angling, too, that solitary vice, 
Whatever Izaak Walton sings or says; 
The quaint, old, cruel coxcomb, in his gullet 
Should have a hook, and a small trout to pull it. 
Adding, in a note: 
It would have taught him humanity at least. This sentimental 
savage, whom it is a mode to quote (amongst the novelists) to 
show their sympathy for innocent sports and old songs, teaches 
us how to sew up frogs and break their legs, by way of experi- 
ment, in addition to the art of angling — the cruelest, the coldest 
and stupidest of pretended sports. They may talk about the 
beauties of nature, but the angler merely thinks of his dish of 
fish; he has no leisure to take his eyes from off the streams, and 
a single bite is worth, to him, more than all the scenery around. 
Besides, some fish bite on a rainy day. The whale, the shark, and 
the tunny fishing have somewhat of noble and perilous in them; 
even net fishing, trawling, etc.. are more humane and useful— but 
angling! No angler can be a good man. 
After this furious fling, he gives the following quota- 
tion: I .< 
"One of the best men I ever knew — as humane, delicate-minded, 
generous and excellent a creature as any in the world, was an 
angler. True, he angled with painted flies, and would have been 
incapable of the extravagance of I. Walton." 
Byron then says: 
The above addition was made by a friend in reading over the 
MS. Audi alteram partem— I leave it to counterbalance my own 
observation. 
It was scarcely necessary for Byron to give this word 
on the other side — his intemperate outburst carries its 
own self-refutation. 
William Basse, a poet little known save for his clever 
four-line epitaph on Shakespeare (of whom he was al- 
most a contemporary) furnishes us with one of the best 
pieces of piscatorial praise. Two verses will suffice to 
show the quaint quality of his "Angler's Song": 
Of recreation there is none 
So free as fishing is, alone; 
All other pastimes do no less 
Than mind and body both possess. 
My hand alone my work can do. 
So I can fish and study, too. 
* * $ # « 
The first men that our Saviour dear 
Did choose to wait upon him here 
Blest fishers were: and fi.sh the last 
Food was that He on earth did taste. 
I therefore strive to follow those 
Whom He to follow Him hath chose. 
Something of the divine afflatus mingles Avith the 
spirit of the true sportsman in the universally known 
song "The Angler." written by John Chalkhill, who was 
so happy as to be an "acquaintance and friend of Ed- 
mund Spenser." The first verse will suffice to remind 
readers of this most famous song: 
Oh! the gallant fisher's life, 
It is the best of any; 
'Tis full of pleasure, void of strife, 
And 'tis beloved by many. 
Other joys 
Are but toys; 
Only this 
Lawful is. 
For our skill 
Breeds no ill. 
But content and pleasure. 
Allusions to fishing are of course to be found in 
classic authors. The sttbject did not escape the compre- 
hensive mind of the stately Virgil, in the first book of 
whose "Georgics" we read: 
Atque alius latum funda jam verberat amnem, [ 
Alta petens, pelagoque alius trahit humida lina; 
which Dryden renders thus : 
And casting nets were spread in shallow brooks. 
Drags in the deep, and baits were hung on hooks; 
though doubtless the genial contributor of "Jottings by 
the .Way" prefers Thomas May's version : 
Drag nets were made to fish within the deep 
And casting nets did river bottoms sweep. 
The reader who has accompanied me thus far in these 
perhaps rather flighty excursions into the works of the 
more serious-minded poets will perhaps welcome now a 
specimen or two from those verse-makers who have 
dealt with the siibject of angling in a lighter vein. 
In "The Sportsman's Vocal Cabinet," compiled by 
Charles Armiger, of Melton Mowbr.ay, and published 
seventy years ago, there is a whimsical dittv, in which 
anglmg is brought into comparison with, most of the 
principal callings in life. It is too long for reproduction 
here, but the first and last verses mav be given. It 
begins: 
Of all the recreations which 
Attend on human nature, 
There's none that's of so high a pitch 
Or is of such a stature. 
As is the subtle angler's life 
In all men's approbation; 
For angling tricks do daily mix 
In every occupation, 
It touches all classes of humanity in turn, from Adam 
and Eve (for whom Satan went a-fishing, proving him- 
self the first angler!), making comparison with physi- 
cians, lawyers, divines, merchants and stock brokers, and 
eveii a cottnterpart -of Hans Breitmann's immortal 
"maiden mid nodings on," and then concludes: 
Thus have I made my angler's trade 
79 5tati4 alcove deft^n^^, 
For, like the mathematic art. 
It runs through every science. 
If with my angling song I can 
To mirth and pleasure seize you, 
I'll bait my hook with wit again 
And angle still to please you. 
Only some half-dozen others of the numerous songs 
in the above collection are of any real merit. The one 
beginning "How happy is the angler's life" shows skill 
in its composition, as the second and fifth verses will 
show: 
At morning, if the sky be fair. 
We leave our couch in quiet. 
And selfish fools to die by care, 
And wanton rakes by riot. 
With bliss supreme we reach the stream, 
The busy bleak or perch we seek. 
The dace or speckled trout so sleek, 
Or else the stately bream. 
But if we find the inmates shy 
And cautious past enduring, 
Full many a skillful trick we try 
To draw them to our luring. 
For, fish, like men, full nine in ten. 
Have very strange vagaries, 
They'll leap on high to catch the fly, 
Then sink to where fresh fare is. 
_ In Richard Alfred Millikin's fatuous song. "The 
Groves of Blarney," which has been styled by an en- 
thusiastic critic the "national Irish poem," the fourth 
stanza concludes thus: 
'Tis there's the lake that is stored with perches 
And comely eels in the verdant mud; 
Besides the leeches, and the groves of beeches 
All standing in order for to guard the flood! 
"Comely eels in the verdant mud" is surelj'— to di'ag in 
an old "chestnut" — an "eeligant" expression not to be 
surpassed even by Father Prout himself. 
Devotees of sea angling, too, have had a share of at- 
tention, as well as their brethren of lake and stream, 
John Lander, the Cork solicitor, to whom the song, 
"The Praise of Kinsale," is ascribed, though written as 
if from "Paddy Farrell of Kinsale to his friend at Mal- 
low," in true Hibernian style, sings: 
To do the theme justice exceeds my poor powers. 
Then expect but a round and unvarnished tale, 
To hook in the aid of poetical flowers 
Is not in my line while I sing of Kinsale. 
******** 
We've a choice set of books for the student who wise is. 
The eel of true science to seize by the tail; 
.\t all seasons a skate you can have where no ice is, 
Or a sinecure plaice you may get at Kinsale. 
These are two of the ten lively quatrains of which the 
song consists. The answer of "Thady Mullowny, of 
Mallow" (by the same author), is so full of fun as to de- 
serve quoting entire, but dread of the editorial blue 
pencil makes me cut it down to the first three verses, 
which run thus: 
Dear Paddy — I got your poetic epistle. 
Along with the hake that you sent by the mail; 
But what could bewitch you to sing, or to whistle. 
In strains so melodious the praise of Kinsale? 
In all baits you're well skilled, you cod-dragging curmudgeon. 
To hook every fish, from a sprat to a whale; 
But your lines shan't catch me — by my soul, I'm no gudgeon 
To flounder or starve in the streets of Kinsale. 
I know your design is, as usual— sell-fish; 
For, catch what you will, my old boy, I'll be bail. 
You'll jolt off to Cork your best hake and best shellfish, 
.\nd leave barely a claw for the town of Kinsale. 
I have now, I think, given sufficient pointers to those 
readers of the Gazette who may care to follow up this 
fishing in books for matters of interest to the brethren 
of the rod and line, and net. If the bulk of the verse 
cannot lay claim to being classed as poetry, it flows with 
freedom and is well flavored with fun. — Rodwell Hook- 
ham in the London Fishing Gazette, 
Rainbo-w Tfout in North Carolina. 
FriGHL.\NDS, N. C, Oct. 10. — I send you a photo of a 
rainbow trout two years old, caught in one of my ponds 
here by a young lady in September. 1889, two years after 
the fingerlings were planted. This shows the amazing 
.growth of these fish under exceptionally favorable cir- 
cumstances. At the present time some of these fish are 
enormously large, but none of them has been taken for 
some years past of large size, as they break the tackle 
whenever hooked. But schools of them are occasion- 
ally seen Ij'ing at the bottom when the sunlight is favor- 
able, and in the evening, at times, the surface of the 
water is broken by their splashing, as they come up for 
flies. I am very suspicious that they are feeding on 
the young fontinalis, which are scarce in the pond where 
they are, but plentiful in another a few miles up the 
stream. I sent yott a photo of a pair of the Iridei six 
or seven years ago, with a 2-foot rule beside them, show- 
ing that the larger of the pair was 22 inches long and 
7 inches across the side at the larger part. This must 
have been eight years ago — or ten perhaps. With this 
growth I am curious to know precisely the size of the 
oldest now, but get no nearer than an estimate of one I 
hooked four years ago, which was fully 10 inches across 
the body, and I should judge 30 inches in length. He 
broke my tackle when half out of the water. I am curi- 
ous to know the full size of the fish at full maturity. 
The poachers here spear these fish by torch light, hav- 
ing given up the habit of "hooking" them any other way. 
Any of the friends of Forest and Stre.am are hereby 
.given cordial invitations to get some of these fish, so 
that I can send yoti some snap shots of them. My fish- 
ing days, I am sorry to say, are now in remembrance, 
rather than presence and «inticipation. 
Canadian Angling Licenses. 
Philadelphia, Pa., Oct. 14. — Editor Forest and 
Stream-: I have just read the communications from 
Messrs. Wood and Hatfield, in regard to Canadian angling 
licenses, as published in your issue of Oct. 12. While I 
have no wish to trespass too far upon the valuable space 
of your columns, or to multiply literature in regard to my 
unpleasant experience, I must, nevertheless, connuent 
briefly upon the communication of Mr. W. R. Wood, the 
fishery overseer from Toronto, and in so doing substanti- 
ate your editorial comment, as contained in your issue of" 
the 19th ult. As a matter of fact, the "alleged injustice," 
as Mr. Wood terms it, was directly at the instance of the 
Dominion officers, and in diametrical opposition to the 
construction placed upon the law by the Provincial 
officials, whose instructions to their deputies were in entire 
accord with the interpretation of the law which, accord- 
ing to Mr. Wood, prevails in the Province of Ontario. If. 
therefore, the appellate courts sustain the present con- 
tention of the Dominion Government, and hold that, while 
we employed Canadian guides and boatmen, our action in 
fishing without a license was in violation of the law. such 
decision will apply to the entire Dominion of Canada, and 
Mr. Wood will be compelled to exact the payment of 
license fees from all of those whom, under this construc- 
tion of the law. he now pronounces exempt. 
As regards the letter of Mr. Hatfield, to which you also 
refer, I cannot but feel grateful to you for your failure 
to publish the same in full, I have no wish to deny the 
right of free speech to any one in connection with this 
matter, but Mr, Hatfield's communication, which I have 
read in its entirety, is so full of misstatements that its 
publication might have easily prejudiced the minds of any 
of tho.se who take an interest in the present discussion. I 
might add that we are momentarily expecting a decision 
upon the appeals taken in these cases, the same having 
been argued in the county cottrt on the first instant. It 
is somewhat interesting to note in this connection that 
the gentleman who sat as committing magistrate now ap- 
pears in the role of attorney for the prosecution in the 
iirgument of the appeals. J. B. Townsend, Jr. 
West Virginia* 
RoMNEY, W. Va., Oct. 9, — Editor Forest and Stream: 
W. P. Hubbard, of Wheeling, caught a 534-pound bass, 
at the Roxs recently, and I noticed an article in a Cum- 
berland paper which reported a lo-pound bass caught at 
Old Fields, which I A-ery much doubt, as there is no 
authentic account of a bass weighing over 7^4 pounda 
caught out of the South Branch. Geo. R, Taylor, of' 
Wheeling, bought one that was caught in a fish and eel 
pot a year or so ago that weighed 7 pounds. Mr. Taylor 
caught one a couple of weeks ago that weighed nearly 
pounds. He has this fish, with two others, in a 
box to keep to take home with him, and some parties: 
stole the fish one night. It is supposed that the carp 
have destroyed the bass jn this stream. 
Can some one tell what it will cost to put fish ladders 
in a dam across the river? There are two dams across 
this river, near Springfield, and it is required by law to • 
have a way for fish to get over them. This they have 
never complied with, and v/hen we g'et our deputy war- 
den we want to have him enforce this provision of the 
game and fish law Capt. E. F. Smith, State game war- 
den, paid Romney a visit recently, and said he would > 
appoint a deputy here soon. It is badly needed, and he 
cannot appoint one too soon. Oiu" deer season opens 
Oct, 1,5, and there are a good many deer in close prox- 
imity to this town. A good many wild turkeys have 
been killed here this season. The partridges and rabbits 
are thick, and some few pheasants. Non-resident hunt- 
ers have to take out a State license. J. B. Brady. 
Fish Commission Papers* 
From the United States Fish Commission we have received the 
following advance extracts from the Bulletin for 1900: 
The Brachyura and Macrura of Porto Rico. By Mary J. Rathbim. 
The Stomatopoda of Porto Rico. By Robert Payne Bigelow. 
The PalychsEtous Annelids of Porto Rico. By Aaron L. Tred- 
well. 
Cirripedia Collected near Porto Rico by the Fish Hawk Ex- 
pedition of 1898-99. By Maurice A. Bigelow, 
Report on Porto Rican lospoda. By H, T, Moore, 
Descriptions of Two New Leeches from Porto Rico, By J. 
Percy Moore. 
The Echinoderros of Porto Rico. By Hubert Lyman Clark. 
The Anomuran Collections made by the Fish Hawk Expedition 
to Nova Scotia. By James E. Benedict. 
The French Sardine Industry. By Hugh M. Smith. 
The Egg Development of the Conger Eel. By Car! H. Eigcu- 
mann. 
Biological Notes, No. 2. Contributions from the Biological' 
Laboratory of the U. S. Fish Commission, Wood's Holl. 
100 Sportsmen's flna$. 
Some of the Qoeet Discoveries Ma«je by Those Who Are^ 
Looking for Game of Fish, ' 
75 
While W. H. Fitzgerald, of Bridgeport, Conn., was 
hunting in the woods one mile west of Flat Rock Church, 
he discovered dishes and cooking utensils, which are sup- 
posed to have been left there by a fugitive, Sam Pine. 
There was a tin pail hanging on a crotched stick, under 
which a fire had been built. The interior of the pail was 
covered with grease, showing that meat had been cooked 
in it. Six loaves of home-made bread lay about, all differ- 
ent in shape; and there were utensils, dishes and pack- 
ages of groceries. The utensils \vere of various styles i 
and were apparently stolen from different farmhouses in 
the vicinity. - 
Take inventory of the good things in this issue " 
of Forest and Stream. Recall what a fund was 
given last week. Count on what is to come next 
week. Was there ever in all the world a more 
abundant weekly store of sportsmen's reading? 
i 
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