Maxims and Hints for an Angler, and Miseries of Fishing

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J. Murray, 1833 - Chess - 3 pages

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Page 17 - Much valuable time, and many a good fish, may be lost by this antiquated proceeding. Put him into your basket as soon as you can. Every thing depends on the manner in which you commence your acquaintance with him. If you can at first prevail upon him to walk a little way down the stream with you, you will have no difficulty afterwards in persuading him to let you have the pleasure of seeing him at dinner.
Page 10 - XVIII. The learned are much divided in opinion as to the propriety of whipping with two flies or with one. I am humbly of opinion that your chance of hooking fish is much increased by your using two flies ; but I think that, by using only one, you increase your chance of landing the fish.
Page 19 - Do not leave off fishing early in the evening because your friends are tired. After a bright day, the largest fish are to be caught by whipping between sunset and dark. Even, however, in these precious moments you will not have good sport, if you continue throwing after you have whipped your fly off. Pay attention to this: and if yon have any doubtafter dusk, you may easily ascertain the point, by drawing the end of the line quickly through your hand, particularly if you do not wear gloves.
Page 12 - Then comes the tug of war ;" and your line is quite as likely to break between you and the fish, as between the fish and the weed. XXII. When, during the season of the May-fly, your friends, the gentlemen from London, say that they " have scarcely seen a fish rise all day," do not too hastily conclude that the fish have not been feeding on the fly.
Page 7 - XIII. Remember that, in whipping with the artificial fly, it must have time, when you have drawn it out of the water, to make the whole circuit, and to be at one time straight behind you, before it can be driven out straight before you. If you give it the forward impulse too soon, you will hear a crack. Take this as a hint that your fly is gone to grass.
Page 13 - If, during your walks by the river-side, you have marked any good fish, it is fair to presume that other persons have marked them also. Suppose the case of two wellknown fish, one of them (which I will call A.) lying above a certain bridge, the other (which I will call B.) lying below the bridge. Suppose further that you have just caught B., and that some curious and cunning friend should say to you in a careless way, " Where did you take that fine fish...
Page 18 - If you ask him what he thinks of the weather, he is very likely to say that last week (when you were in London) it was " famous weather for fishing;" or he will perhaps say, that he expects that next week (when you are to be at home again) it will be very good. I never knew one of these men who was satisfied with the present hour. XXXIII. Do not leave off fishing early in the evening because your friends are tired. After a bright day, the largest fish are to be caught by whipping between sunset and...
Page 10 - ... to describe. XVI. If your line should fall loose and wavy into the water, it will either frighten away the fish, or he will take the fly into his mouth without fastening himself; and when he finds that it does not answer his purpose, he will spit it out again before it has answered yours. XVII. Although the question of fishing up or down the stream is usually settled by the direction of the wind, you may sometimes have the option; and it is, therefore, as well to say a word or two on both sides....
Page 22 - Thompson now mended his tackle and went on fishing ; and when he thought, " good easy man," that the very moment for hooking another trout was arrived, there was a great splash just above his fly ; — and the boy exclaiming, " Damn un, I miss'd un," instantly threw a second brickbat at a rat which was crossing the river.

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