The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-05-02
Fishing az a Fine Az

Horace Greeley was always going
fishing, but he never went. and a bus
life abruptly terminated. The tension
| ed cords which received no relaxation
suddenly snapped asunder. There i
no other diversion, perhaps. which af
fords so much relaxation for men of al
nations, classes. and ages Of people ~
iisMng in all its various ways an,
methods. Some idea may be derived
of the large attention which fishing ha.
received, from the fact that tn,
''Bibliethica Piscatoria, Just published
gives the names of ., 496 different vol
umes on fishing. Perhaps the most in
~teresting of all these. next TO Isaac
Walton. is the volume soon to be brought
out in this country, written by the late
David Foster, OF Burton-on-Trent Eng.
land. whogives vivid descriptions OF
salmon. trout and pike fishing The su
periority of ily-tshing over all other
systems of angling is he claims, uni
versally acknowledged
The eFer-exciting nature of surface
fishing adds a zest to the sport, I'M
known to the other branches of the arr
PiScatorial. The higrpitch of expecta.
ton experienced rs the rising fish dainti-
ly ''plop" off the insects around. ox-
tends highly exhilarating influence
over both mind and body The whole
OF the faculties are thus concentrated
IN one focus, ever stimulating to still
greater earnestness and efficiency. 1t is
owing to these characteristics this scope
for science and skill, that this sport is
and has been the chosen recreation of
men of the greatest celebrity and the
highest attainments of modern times
Since the time of Walton the anglers
skill has advanced wDndrously. while
keenness of perception and wariness
have developed amongst the denizens of
the liquid element in degree quite
proportionate.
The adept at flying for trout, when at
work IN real earnest upon the banks of
well stocked stream, is striking figure,
exemplary of the true fisherman. The
gracefully erect, though expectant atti-
tude, the latter assumed upon the de-
livery of the fly, the slender pliable
rod, the long floating line and gossamer
gut, combine to constitute an ideal rod
ster.
A thorough command of the rod and
line is as essential and important as the
welding of the whip in the case of a
tandem or Il four-in-hand drive. The
most sEiliful east known in Europe
welded the whip; we refer to the ia
nous Royal goodman. Tom Bosworth:
Old Tom had. in the early part of his
life, driven three British Sovereigns,
viz. the Fourth George, the Fourth
William, and finally, for a heightened
period, Her Majesty Queen Victoria.
As successful fisherman, Old Tom
was unsurpassed. He would often fish
in the wake of several rodsters, whose
energy would succeed their skill. and
would extract not infreuuently three
times their weight of fish. by skillfully
and carefully casting over the awkward
and most unlikely looking spots, which
the majority of anglers would rarely
dream OF irying. A fayorite freak Of
his with the whip was to take tile pine
from the teeth of passing pedestrian
by q carefully calculated whirl Of the
lash, and this aptitude was as remark
ably exemplified, for limited distance.
IN his use of the rod Bosworth orioiu-
ated the Coachman Fly, SO much an
preicated for night fishing. --Ansericaya
Agrscastarist for Nay.