No; your accomplished angler would scorn to tell a lie, that way (нет; настоящий рыбак не стал бы лгать таким образом; accomplished — законченный, полный, совершенный; настоящий; to scorn — презирать, не принимать, считать неприемлемым). His method is a study in itself (его способ — наука по своей природе = целая наука).

He comes in quietly with his hat on, appropriates the most comfortable chair (он входит спокойно, не снимая шляпы: «с надетой шляпой», садится на самый удобный стул; to appropriate — присваивать; конфисковать), lights his pipe, and commences to puff in silence (зажигает свою трубку и начинает пускать клубы дыма молча). He lets the youngsters brag away for a while, and then, during a momentary lull (он позволяет молодежи хвастаться некоторое время, а потом, во время короткого перерыва; momentary — моментальный, преходящий, кратковременный; lull — временное затишье; временное успокоение; перерыв), he removes the pipe from his mouth, and remarks (он вынимает трубку изо рта и замечает; to remove — передвигать, перемещать; снимать), as he knocks the ashes out against the bars (выбивая пепел о решетку /камина/):

weighing ['we] momentary ['mumntr]

Anybody can come in and say, "Oh, I caught fifteen dozen perch yesterday evening;" or "Last Monday I landed a gudgeon, weighing eighteen pounds, and measuring three feet from the tip to the tail."

There is no art, no skill, required for that sort of thing. It shows pluck, but that is all.

No; your accomplished angler would scorn to tell a lie, that way. His method is a study in itself.

He comes in quietly with his hat on, appropriates the most comfortable chair, lights his pipe, and commences to puff in silence. He lets the youngsters brag away for a while, and then, during a momentary lull, he removes the pipe from his mouth, and remarks, as he knocks the ashes out against the bars:

"Well, I had a haul on Tuesday evening that it's not much good my telling anybody about (у меня был такой улов во вторник вечером, что мне не следует никому /даже/ рассказывать о нем; haul — волочение, тяга; улов /рыбы/; добыча)."

"Oh! why's that (это почему)?" they ask (спрашивают они).

"Because I don't expect anybody would believe me if I did (потому что не думаю, что кто-нибудь поверит мне, если я расскажу; to expect — ждать; надеяться, полагать)," replies the old fellow calmly, and without even a tinge of bitterness in his tone (отвечает старик спокойно, и даже без тени горечи в голосе; tinge — легкая окраска; оттенок, тон; привкус), as he refills his pipe (вновь наполняя = набивая трубку), and requests the landlord to bring him three of Scotch, cold (и просит трактирщика принести ему три рюмки/порции холодного шотландского виски; landlord — домовладелец; хозяин гостиницы, пансиона и т.д.).

There is a pause after this, nobody feeling sufficiently sure of himself to contradict the old gentleman (после этого наступает пауза, никто не чувствует себя достаточно уверенно, чтобы возражать старому джентльмену). So he has to go on by himself without any encouragement (поэтому ему приходится продолжать самому, без какой-либо поддержки).

"Well, I had a haul on Tuesday evening that it's not much good my telling anybody about."

"Oh! why's that?" they ask.

"Because I don't expect anybody would believe me if I did," replies the old fellow calmly, and without even a tinge of bitterness in his tone, as he refills his pipe, and requests the landlord to bring him three of Scotch, cold.