WHAT FLY-FISHING IS. 



call Dr. Samuel Johnson, defined angling, as a 

 silly thing, practised by a fool at one end of a rod 

 and line, with a worm at the other. Many stupid 

 people still adhere to this very stupid definition. 

 With the practice of angling they associate nothing 

 beyond worms, punts, patience, cold and wet, a 

 nibble and tittle-bat sport. A salmon caught by 

 angling with a diminutive artificial fly, a thin 

 silkworm gut line, and a rod of pieces lighter 

 and more limber than a lady's riding wand ! No 

 no such prodigy in their opinion ever occurred. 

 Believe me yes, the largest salmon that have ever 

 stemmed the deep rapids of the Shannon have 

 succumbed to the cunning hand deftly manipu- 

 lating such frail gear. 



Let us after this see what fly-fishing is 

 whether it is a fool at one end of a rod and a 

 worm at the other. The greatest names in arms, 

 science, literature, and art heroes, divines, ma- 

 thematicians, poets, painters, sculptors have 

 been devoted to fly-fishing. Nelson's 4 dear, dear 

 Merton,' with its Wandle wandering by, offered 

 him an attraction which he constantly revelled 

 in, viz. fly-fishing. Sir H. Davy, Archdeacon 

 Paley, Sir Francis Chantry, Sir Walter Scott, 

 General Sir Charles Dalbiac, were enthusiastic 

 fly-fishers. The Dukes of Argyle, Newcastle, Sir 

 Hyde Parker, Mr. Sydney Herbert, Earl Gros- 

 venor, Viscount Anson, and many other great 



