Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-05-21
GOING A-FISHING.
By Frederic ]. Haskin.

/ IAN angler is man who fishes for
sport; a fisherman is a man who fishes
for fish," explained an angler. But the
angler will have no sport unless he
catches some fish. and the fisherman
can't catch fish without having sport.
retorted the fisherman. Then, the month
being May both men went a-ishing. The
dispute between the two schools OF fishS
killers may never be ended. but the fact
remains that when the springtime green's
the willows on the bank large proper
ton Of the male population longs for a
try at fisherman's luck. Undoubtedly
this longing is not limited to the spring
time Some fish in Florida in the win
ter. some fish in Canada in the autumn,
some fish everywhere in the summer.
but it is only in the spring that every
body goes a-fishing.
Whether you be an aristocratic angler
whipping for trout with Jeweled rod
and a dry fly. or whether you be farm
er's boy fishing for perch with hickory
pole and a worm. you are OF the oldest
and most honorable clan Of sportsmen.
Thousands Of years ago one Of your an
cestors tied thin strip OF bark to one
end of a curved bit of broken shell. COW
cred the she'll with a piece of meat and
east it into the water. A fish swallowed
it, a tug on the bark string jerked the
shell crosswise in the f1sh's interior. and
so the first fisherman caught the nrst
fish and the first angler had the first
sport. That particular kind OF tackle:
using a gorge rather than a hook. stiH
is employed by primitive peoples in vari-
Gus parts Of the world.
-
iofi &c
who tries to capture fish by the use OF
q baited hook or
How the Dictionary angle. . ~oro
Defines an Angler. from the Aryan
''ank.' meaning a hook or bend. That
takes US back as far into the past as
we can go. We know that angling was
a favorite sport of the ancient aristocracy
of Egypt, we remember that Antony and
Cleopatra had fishing match, We are
told that Creek anglers guide appeared
in the year Ammo Domini 60, and that
the first treatise on angling with arti-
fetal flies appeared in Greek some six
teen centuries ago.
Izaak Walton was the high priest Of
the craft, but he had the experience OF
centuries behind him, and he only wrote
down what millions of fishermen had felt
before he was born. Young as is this
country of ours, every American angler
ought to be proud that the oldest fishing
club in the world belongs to us-the
Schuylkill Club of Pennsylvania, which
was founded in 1882, the year George
Washington was born.
But 1t is not the ancient past. nor even
the tale of twelve hours agone. that is
important. The brook, the river, the
lake, they are there and spring is here
the tackle is ready. and only slaves and
sinners will not go a-fshing.
1t means whole lot Of different
things-to go a-fshing-but It always and
everywhere means fun. He who wor-
ships the art as well enjoys the sport
of angling has known for months just
where he will cast his first fly. has known
by the winter practice in tournament fly
casting just how well he will cast bar
ring trees overhead: has known what
flies he would have IN his book, what
rods In his kit and, indeed. everything
but what he will catch. He spends small
fortunes on his tackle, he crosses con-
tinent to find his favorite brook, and he
has a royal good time, which IL good for
his health.
Now this man thinks, and says, that
any body who fishes with live bait, min
nows, frogs.
OIL r,..l transformers or