The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-06-26
CLEVELAND ON FISHING
Ex-President Writes a Few
Words to Fishermen.
DEFENDS GOOD NAME OF ANGLERS

Tells Those who Fish In q "Fair.
well Bred and Reasonable Way"
Not to Complain When Fish Do Not
Bite-GOod Bait, Good Tackle and
Plenty Of Patience Necessary.
Grover Gle yeland, whom anglers have
come to regard as a dean in the school
Of Izaak Walton, accepting bis words
as those Of an authority, has written
an essay he entities "a Word to Fish
ermen," which recently appeared in
the Independent. In part he says:
"Those Of us who fish in a fair, well
bred and reasonable way, for the pur.
pose Of recreation and as a means OF
increasing the table pleasures of our
selves or Jul friends, may well regret
the apparently unalterable decree
which gives to all those who fish. un-
der the spur of any m~otive-good, bad
or indifferent-the name of fishermen.
1--WE certainly have nothing in com-
mon with those who fish for a liveli-
hood, unless 1t be a desire to catch fish.
We have, in point of fact, no closer rela-
tionship than this with the murderously
inclined. whose only motive in fishing is
to make large catches and whose sole
pleasure in the pursuit is the gratitica-
ton Of a greedy propensity. Neverthe-
less we and those with whom we have
so little sympathy are. by a sort of un-
avoidable law of gravitation, classed
together in the same fraternity and
called fishermen.
"At this season. when the activities
Of genteel fishing usually begin, 1t Is
fitting that a word should be spoken
that may not only rebound to our com
us against temptations that easily be-
set eve the best of fishermen.
1--WE who claim to represent the high
est fishing aspirations are sometimes
inclined to complain on days when the
Ash refuse to bite. There can be no
worse exhibition than this Of an entire
misconception of q wise arrangement
for u benefit.
IF on days when we catch few or no
fsh We feel syfnpt6msaof disappoftit-
nnent these should Immediately give
way to satisfaction when we remember
how many spurious and discouraged
1ishemen are spending their time in
hammocks or under trees or on golf
fields instead Of with fishing outfits
solely on account of just such unfavor-
able days. We have no assurance that
IL fish could be easily taken at all times
the fishing waters within u reach
would not be depopulated, a horrible
thing to contemplate. Let 1t not be
said that such considerations as these
SAVIOR of uncharitableness and selfish
ness on our part. We are only recog-
nizing the doctrine of the survival of
the fittest as applied to fishermen and
claiming that these attest should have
the best chance.
professionally weak attempts have
been made to classify the best of this
fraternity under the name of anglers
or some title of that kind, but such
efforts have always failed. Even IZaaE
Walton could not change the current
of human thought by calling his i'm
mortal book The Compleat Angler.
SO it seems, however much those who
fish may differ in social standing. in
disposition and character, in motive
and ambition and ven in mode of op
Grafton. all must abide to the end Of
the chapter in the contemplation of the
outside world within the brotherhood
called fishermen Happily. however
this grouping of homogeneous elements
under q common name does not pre-
vent those of us who properly appre
.ciate the Importance of uphOlding thu
responsibility of decent fishing from
coming to an agreement concerning
certain causes of congratulation ant
certain rules of conduct.
"What he's been said naturally leads
to the suggestion that consistency re
Quires those Of us who are right mind
ed fishermen to reasonably limit our
selves as to the number of fish w
should take on favorable days. On NJ
account should edible fish be caught il
such quantities as to be wasted. B.
restraining ourselves in this matter w
discourage in our own natures tn
growth of greed, we prevent wicke'
waste. we make it easier for us to bea
the fall between what we may deter
mine upon as decent. good luck and bal
luck or no luck, and we make ourselve
at all points better men and bette
fishermen.
I'VE ought not to forget these thing
AS we enter upon the pleasures of on
summers fishing. But in any event lie
us take with us when we go out goo
tackle. good bait and plenty of pa
t1ence. II. the wind is in the south 0
west SO much the better, but let's g
wherever the wind may be. II W
catch fish we shall add zest to our rec
reation. II we catch none we shal
still have the outing and the recrea
hon-more healthful and more enjoy