SCENE II. A BRIDGE

In the chapter, Anglus, a devout angler, and his companion Scotus are interrupted in their fishing by the presence of laborers nearby and the frustrations of angling in the English countryside. Anglus attempts to pacify Scotus’s objections to the cost and challenges of angling with a song that romanticizes the angler’s life, highlighting its joys and trials with a light-hearted tone. Despite Scotus’s departure out of disdain, Anglus persists, setting his sights on catching a notorious trout named George. His venture is fraught with mishaps, including a disruptive boy and struggles with both flora and fauna that hinder his angling efforts.

Anglus faces the irony of the angler’s patience being tested not just by the unpredictable nature of fish but by the intrusions of people and ducks alike. The arrival of twenty-four ducks, which disrupt the feeding trout, culminates in Anglus accidentally hooking a duck instead of his intended quarry. Although he fails to catch any trout due to these interruptions, his spirits remain undampened, encapsulating the angler’s eternal optimism.

The chapter concludes with Scotus’s return, boasting of his own catch achieved through the use of an artificial lure called a Phantom, suggesting a contrast in angling philosophies. The ensuing disagreement over the ethics of angling methods escalates into a physical altercation, which is quickly resolved with sportsmanship and an exchange of food and drink. Anglus explains to Scotus that the essence of their excursion was not to catch fish per se, but to engage in the sport of dry fly fishing, underscoring a fundamental distinction between mere catching and the art of angling as they understand it.

Through these events, the chapter eloquently captures the essence of angling as an endeavor of patience, skill, and appreciation for the subtleties of nature, as well as the camaraderie and personal philosophies that enrich the experience, despite—or perhaps because of—the myriad challenges it presents.