The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-06-08
CLEVELAND ON FISHING
Ex-President Writes a Few
Words to Fishermen.
DEFENDS GOOD NAME OF ANGLERS

Bite-Good Bait, Good Tackle and
Plenty OF Patience Necessary.
Grover Gle seland, whom anglers have
come to regard as a dean in the school,
Of Izaak Walton, accepting his 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 our friends, may well regret
the apparently unalterable decree
which gives 70 all those who fish, IN
der the spur Of any motive good, bad
or indifferent-th the name Of fishermen.
1--WE certainly have nothing Ia com
mon with those who fish for a liYeli-
hood, unless it 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 gratifea-
ton Of a greedy propensity. Neyerthe-
less we and those with whom we have
so little sympathy are. by a sort Of un-
avoidable law Of gravitatlon, classed
together in the same fraternity and
called fishermen.
''At this season, when the activities
Of genteel fishing usually begin. it is
fitting that a word should be spoken
that may not only rebound to our com
fort and satisfaction, but may guard
as against temptations that easily be-
set even the best of fishermen.
eve who claim to represent the high
est fishing aspirations are sometimes
inclined to complain on days when the
fish refuse to bite. There can be no
worse exhibition than this Of an entire
misconception Of wise arrangement
for our benefit
III on days when we catch few or no
fish we feel symptoms of disappoint-
ment these should Immediately give
way to satisfaction when we remember
how many spurious and discouraged
tishemen 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
if fish could be easily taken at all times
the fishing waters within our reach
would not be depopuIated, horrible
thing to contemplate. Let it not be
said that such considerations as these
SAVIOR Of uncharitableness ana selfish
ness ON Our part. we are only recog-
mixing the doctrine Of the survival of
the tittest as applied to fishermen and
claiming that these fttest should have
the best chance.
occasionally 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 Izaak
Walton could not change the current
Of human thought by calling his inn
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 even in mode of OPP
Grafton. al must abide to tie end Of
the chapter In the contemplation Of the
outside world within the brotherhood
called fishermen. Happily, however,
this grouping Of ifcongruous elements
under a common name does not pre-
vent those Of us who properly appre
ciate the Importance Of unfolding the
responsibility Of decent fishing from
coming TO an agreement concerning
certain causes Of congratulation and
certain rules az conduct
"What has been said naturally leads
10 the suggestion that consistency re-
quires those Of us who are right mind
ed fishermen to reasonably limit our
selves as 10 the number Of fish we
should take on favorable days on no
account should edible fish be caught in
such quantities as to be wasted BY
restraining ourselves in this matter we
discourage in our own natures the
growth Of greed we prevent wicked
waste, we make it easier for us to bear
the fall between what we may deter
mine upon as decent good luck and bad
luck or no luck, and we make ourselves
at all points better men and better
fishermen.
eve ought not to forget these things
as we enter upon the pleasures Of our
summers fishing But in any event let
us take with us when we go out good
tackle, good bait and plenty Of pa
tience. If the wind is in the south or
west so much the better, but let's go
wherever the wind may be. If we
catch fish we shall add zest to our rec
reation If we catch none we shall
still have the outing and the recrea-
ton more healthful and more enjoy
able than can be gained in any other
way"
The smiIeIess Man.
W. W. Black, head critic of the Chi