PREFACE 



in understanding what a glorious sport it is and how with 

 a moderate-priced outfit, some observation and normal 

 intelligence they may attain a reasonable degree of skill 

 in it, I shall not mind if those who disagree with my 

 views chuckle at the fact that their enemy has written a 

 book. 



And I am not without hope that some of the older 

 and more skilled among fishermen will also find chapters 

 that will interest them. They have been written by a 

 practical man who started fly-fishing with an open mind, 

 no axes to grind and no pet theories to hamper him. What 

 knowledge I have gained of trout, their habits, haunts, 

 and the best way of catching them, has been based on a 

 careful study of their ways, which has grown keener 

 every year. 



I have not written with the intention of provoking 

 controversy, because I am assured that brother anglers 

 should, for the best interests of their pursuit, dwell to- 

 gether in unity whether they be tireless advocates of the 

 dry-fly, or contented disciples of the wet-fly. But I have 

 been constrained, however, to point out instances of what 

 has seemed to me lamentable lack of fairness found in 

 the writings of certain dry-fly enthusiasts. Fortunately 

 I am too strong a believer in the fair-mindedness of ang- 

 lers as a body to suppose that dry-fly men considered as 

 a whole feel as bitterly toward that great majority who 

 employ the wet-fly method in their sport as those dry- 

 fly writers would lead the casual reader to infer. 



That a minority of less than five per cent, should en- 



viii 



