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Show LEVIATHAN the fly than with the bait,-that is, of course, if he understands the art of fly-fishing. you perceive at once that here was a very pretty ground for conflict between the two men, after the ecclesiastical battle had been called off. Their community of zeal as anglers only intensified their radical opposition as to the authoritative and orthodox mode of angling. In the close season, when the practice of their art was forbidden, they discussed its theory with vigour; and many were the wit-combats between these two champions, to which the Samaritans listened in the drug-store-and-post-office that served them in place of a Mermaid Tavern. There was something of Shakspere's quickness and elegance in Willibert's methods; but Cotton Mather had the advantage in learning and in weight of argument. "It is unhistorical," he said, "to claim that there is only one proper way to catch fish. The facts are against you." "But surely, my dear fellow," repiled Willibert, "there is one best way, and that must be the proper way on which all should unite." "I don't admit that," said the other, "variety 290 LEVIATHAN counts for something. Besides, it is up to you to prove that fly-fishing is the best way." "Well," answered Willibert, "I fancy that would be easy enough. All the authorities are on my side. Doesn't every standard writer on angling say that fly-fishing is the perfection of the art?" "Not at all," Cotton Mather replied, with some exultation, "lzaak Walton's book is all about baitfishing, except two or three pages on the artificial fly, which were composed for him by Thomas Barker, a retired confectioner. But suppose all the books were on your side. There are ten thousand men who love fishing and know about fishing, to one who writes about it. The proof of the angler is the full basket." At this Willi bert looked disgusted. "You mistake quantity for quality. It's better to take one fish prettily and fairly than to fill your basket in an inferior way. Would you catch trout with a net?" Cotton Mather admitted that he would not. "Well, then, why not carry your discrimination a little farther and reject the coarse bait-hook, and the stiff rod, and the heavy line? Fly-tackle appeals to the resthetic taste,-the slender, pliant rod with 291 |