BIBLIOGRAPHY OF ANGLING. 257 



passing, to mention some striking evidence of the 

 popularity of our art, and its founder, Walton. In 1864, 

 Westwood, in his history of the Editions of Walton, says 

 that up to that date no less than fifty-three editions had 

 been printed, and since that date I find there have been 

 seven more ; altogether sixty editions. All these prove 

 that whatever may be said of some of our aids, such as 

 the May-fly, our art of angling is not so ephemeral as 

 many other sports. 



To conclude the subject, so far as British Angling 

 Works are concerned, I must deal very briefly with the 

 remainder of these. There were published altogether 

 in the sixteenth century, twenty-eight angling works 

 proper in prose, and four in verse. I cannot leave this 

 century, which for the angler is fraught with interest, 

 without calling especial attention to three famous books 

 which appeared. First comes The Experienced Angler, 

 by Colonel Venables (famous in his day for the capture 

 of Jamaica). His first edition, to which I have before 

 referred, appeared in 1661, and one passage, containing 

 valuable hints to anglers upon the respective merits of up 

 and down stream fishing, will, I think, bear quotation, 

 even in this enlightened age : — 



Fish are frightened with any, the least, sight or motion ; therefore 

 by all means keep out of sight, either by sheltring yourself behind some 

 bush or tree, or by standing so far off the River's side, that you can see 

 nothing but your flie or flote ; to effect this, a long Rod at ground, and a long 

 Line with the artificial flie, may be of use to you. And here I meet with two 

 different opinions and practices ; some always cast their flie and bait up the 

 water, and so they say nothing occurreth to Fishes sight but the Line: others 

 fish down the River, and so suppose (the Rod and Line being long) the quantity 

 of water takes away or at least lesseneth the Fishes sight; but the other 



