Red Palmer: A Practical Treatise on Fly Fishing Part 4

These special casts are only used in special circ.u.mstances requiring them, but they are often instrumental in producing big fish from otherwise inaccessible spots, and it is in such spots that the big fish generally lie.

ANGLING CLUBS.

In conclusion, I would recommend all anglers, whether living in London or the provinces, to join a good club: they there meet kindred spirits, and form friends.h.i.+ps and connections, that make life pleasant.

Many of these clubs rent waters for the use of their members, which would not be within the reach of individuals.

Scientific papers on the art are occasionally read, and discussions based on them; lectures and smoking concerts are often added to the programme; some of them possess extensive circulating libraries accessible to their members only, while most of their rooms are hung with specimen fish, portraits of prominent anglers, aquatic birds, flies, &c. In winter evenings, when angling is out of the question, the interest in the sport is thus kept up, and plans for the coming season formed, tackle compared, and various other matters arranged.

Most of the London clubs admit country members at a lower rate of subscription than ordinary members, and thus benefits accrue on both sides. Country members, when in town, can obtain all the advantages enumerated, and they have occasionally the opportunity of procuring the town member a day's fis.h.i.+ng "far from the madding crowd."

RED PALMER.