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"But of your true London anglers, we have always held and said they are at the top of the tree; they have trained themselves up to the utmost fineness and delicacy of execution, and in shyest water, where no brother of the angle in all Scotland could move a fin, they will kill fish. Their tackle, of course, is of the most exquisite and scientific kind; their entire set-out at the river's edge perfect, we should not presume to throw a fly with the least celebrated proficient of the Walton Club."

THE ANGLER.

In a morning stroll along the banks of the Alun (a beautiful little stream that flows down from the Welsh hills, and throws itself into the Dee), my attention was attracted to a group seated on the margin. On approaching, I found it to consist of a veteran angler, and two rustic disciples; the former was an old fellow with a wooden leg, with clothes very much worn, but carefully patched, betokening poverty, honestly come by, and decently maintained. He lost his leg at Camperdown, and this was the only stroke of good fortune he had ever experienced, as it produced him forty pounds per year. His face bore the marks of former storms, but present fair weather; its furrows had been worn into an

habitual smile; his iron grey locks hung about his ears. I soon fell into conversation with the old angler, and was so entertained, that under pretext of receiving instructions in his art, I kept company with him almost the whole day. On parting, I enquired after his place of abode, and happening to be in the village a few evenings afterwards, I had the curiosity to seek him out. I found him living in a small cottage, containing only one room, but a perfect curiosity in its method and arrangement. It was on the skirts of the village, on a green bank, a little back from the road, with a small garden in front, stocked with kitchen herbs, and adorned with a few flowers. The whole front of the cottage was overrun by a honeysuckle; on the top was a ship for a weather-cock. The interior was fitted up in a truly nautical style, his ideas of comfort and convenience having been acquired on the berth deck of a man-of-war. A hammock was slung from the ceiling; from the centre of the chamber hung the model of a ship, of his own workmanship; two or three chairs, a table, and a seachest, formed the principal moveables. About the wall was stuck up naval ballads, pictures of sea-fights, amongst which the battle of Camperdown held a distinguished place. His implements of angling were carefully disposed on nails and hooks about the room.

I found him seated on a bench, before the door, smoking his pipe in the evening sunshine; he had been angling all day, and gave me the history of his sport, being particularly animated about taking a large trout. His family consisted of a large black cat, with one eye, and a parrot, which he had caught in one of his voyages, and educated himself.

Washington Irving's Sketch Book.

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ANECDOTES OF FISHES AND

FISHING.

BEFORE I proceed to the Anecdotes of Fish, I shall quote, from the Supplement to Daniel's Rural Sports, a most useful hint to persons engaged in angling, who may not be adepts in swimming. Editor.

"An accidental fall into water may be most dangerous to those ignorant of the art of swimming. By observing the directions here given, a person may save himself from drowning if he falls into deep water, he will rise to the surface by floatage, and will continue there, if he does. not elevate his hands; and the keeping them down is essential to his safety. If he moves his hands under the water, in any way he pleases, his head will rise so high as to allow him free liberty to breathe; and if in addition he moves his legs, exactly as in the action of walking up stairs, his shoulders will rise above the water, so that he may use less exertion with his hands, or apply them to other purposes."

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The salmon delights in the most rapid streams, with gravelly bottoms; he is justly termed by some anglers the king of fresh-water fish. When hooked, he requires to be gently treated, as Sir Walter Scott says, by giving him line, but not too freely; in which case you are sure of your fish. The salmon tribe becomes at one period of the year a river, and at another a sea fish. The salmon leaves the sea for the rivers in the summer or autumn, according to the heat of the season, and surmounts most surprising obstacles to attain its object; having fulfilled which, equal anxiety is displayed to return to the sea. The flies for salmon should be made gaudy and large; this fish is particularly fond of the horse-leech fly. In imitating this fly, behind each wing whip the body of the fly with gold or silver twist. Editor.

Salmon Leaps.-Professor Agassiz observes: The caudal, or tail fin, is attached to a very fleshy root, and is moved by powerful muscles. This elastic fin to these fish is a most powerful lever;

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