ANGLING SUBDIVIDED. 3 



mortality which will last until the art of printing 

 our language shall be forgotten. Angling, then, 

 cannot be a theme unworthy of a modern pen ; 

 but the pen perchance may be unworthy of it, 

 and so cause me to fail in my design, which is to 

 write upon angling in a plain, connected, business- 

 like way, teaching its modern theory and practice, 

 together with the useful discoveries, inventions, 

 and improvements that have been recently made 

 in relation to it. 



The art of angling is divided into three main 

 branches, the general principles of which being 

 understood, an acquaintance with minute detail 

 will follow gradually as a matter of course. 



The first branch embraces angling at the sur- 

 face of the water, and comprehends fly-fishing 

 with natural or artificial insects, the latter being 

 of more general use. The second embraces ang- 

 ling at mid-water, or thereabouts, and includes 

 trolling or spinning with a live, a dead, or an 

 artificial bait with a small fish generally, or its 

 representative. The third includes bottom-fishing, 

 that is, angling at or near the- bottom of the water 

 with worms, gentles, and many sorts of inanimate 

 baits. Bottom-fishing is the most primitive, the 

 commonest, and easiest mode of angling, the first 

 learnt and the last forgot ; trolling is less com- 

 mon and more difficult ; fly-fishing is the most 

 difficult and amusing of all, and though less. 



B 2 



