WOMEN AS ANGLERS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXV, Issue 9431, 4 June 1891, Page 7

WOMEN AS ANGLERS.

It is a bold man nowadays (says a ju the Field) who dares to speak of the weaker sex. The propriety of the term- went out with crinolines, and the modem representatives thereof have made inoh rapid encroachments on what was once forbidden ground, that only the remnants of courtesy deny them the Snallty they seek. In business, on the itform, in the hunting-held, in the dbvert, and on the moor ladies compete for the honours of the day; and by the riverside hot a few of them can hold their own with the keenest votaries of the rod and line. THX SCHOOLROOM MISS SUPERSEDED. It is not the schoolroom miss now who represents the craft, sitting, by the bank of lothe solitary, pool, _with..aJbook in her hand, a bunch of wild bowers in her lap, KiH a itoat bobbing away in the lily-leaves hard bybub a demoiselle accoutred for the fray, working a salmon pool with .per■isteht Kft, : or - landing tier chalk-stream trout with the composure of long experi•ttae.'Noriaifc quite a ‘modern phase, Nearly ago were issued' new and excellent experiments for the Female. Angler," along with the art of PrCserVing-and Candying, with recipes for Beautifying: Vf ateis', ! Oyla, >n<f Oyhiment's; •ad the Coinpleat Cook's : guide. They fitted -for grayling in those days, for <Shevin,and vinber, and rocb,hut the sport Waealltheßame. ; 'a ladt’s'sport. /. liken how, ho doubt, the lady fly-fisher ia an uncommon sight upon public or sub•ociptipo waters, courting rather the privacy of a Highland-stream, the seclusion of a mountain leoh, or the jealously guarded reaches of some home preserve. She is not of the busy throng whose fishing is their, brief holiday from city life j she knows little of the seamy side, the hopes ■nd. disappointments, the failures and anxieties, that the season brings to us. But time and- woman’s rights will soon mend that in the nineteenth century, and meanwhile her presence and her skill are acknowledged facts, despite the sneers of crusty folk. She rod-maker picks out the daintiest of his wares as fib for a lady’s use. : and, did yon but know the tooth, Sir Uysogynist. that splitcane you bought last week was built for. a, Hampshire dame, iiknd,in troth, what could be mote a lady’s *iport than this same fly-fishing ? .It is graceful, quiet and healthy; it needs & atrong writt and a delicate touch • fcWe ia jib thing dangerous,- nothing unfeminine, •bout its ways and means. PETTICOATS AND OTHER MINOR HINDRANCES. Petticoats are a hindrance, of conrae, as they are in every branch of outdoor exercise. Wading, too, is at a discount (though perhaps Messrs Blank and Co. might have something to unfold even here), and the crouching and crawling Which an occasional difficulty demands must be eschewed perforce. But, granting these minor obstacles, there is no reason why the art should he more exclusively a /masonline pursuit than tennis or golf or the mild croquet. MAWKISH SENTIMENTS. faddists will have it that the cruelty of the thing is enough of itself to debar the gentle sex. But if not from hunting, why from this ? for of all sports, the cruelty IS least apparent here. Out among the 'green fields, with the murmur.of the water ever in one’s ears, and the book of nature Open wide to read, what mind could be debased? Does the angler really grow more callous day by day, more indifferent to the suffering ini the world around ? And Is this alibeoause it is his trade to kill? Ip,good sooth, no. And, after all, themad ixuehes of a trout who feels the strain of gut and top are not the symptoms of mortal pain, nor, one may safely say, of fear. It is hut unreasoning instinct that prompts bis efforts at escape. That tap across the head ia the limit of his sufferings, and they •re sosceptibilities indeed that such a crime could wound. But away with these mawkish sentiments. The wind blows .gently from the south, and white April Clouds straggle across the sky.

1; FLIRTATION TAMS COMPARED WITH THIS. is high time,..Mistress Diana, that J yoiw rod was up. That gray homespun dress is the very colour for the waterside, and the leather binding round the skirt will save it harmless from the thorns. Gaiters and strong boots you Want in the loti'g water meadow grass, and a hat that will not set every fish agog. No parasols for this sort of work; even gloves were best left at home; a loose grip will cause you mor.e, anxiety than ever freckles need. But ho more upon that point, though maybe there are other spotted beauties ” besides treat. An olive dun you think? One of your own tying, too; in this, at all •vents, you can outdo our clumsy fingers. And see, there is a rise. Does it make your heart beat, as a good angler’s should ? Cover it carefully, the first cast is everything. Excellent, excellent; he has it aure enough. -A waltz is nothing to this, • flirtation tame, and even a new bonnet in • different category.