2 THE WONDERFUL TROUT 



frightened), and ' fisherfolk * have become 

 more abundant, and anglers good and bad 

 have increased in number. As we believe, 

 the worst enemy the truly scientific angler 

 has lies in the troops of unscientific anglers 

 who thresh every stream as with a flail, and 

 cast their long shadows over the thin waters. 



In our present volume, and all during 

 our practice, we have every season taken 

 up Stewart's points ; and we have patiently 

 endeavoured, day by day, to prove their 

 correctness or discover their imperfections. 

 We have also, by careful analyses of re- 

 peated experiences and by experiments, as 

 conscientiously tried to give reasons for 

 many, if not for all, of Stewart's conclu- 

 sions, and his well-proved array of facts. 

 Examples of this may be found under the 

 headings of ' Temperatures of Air and 

 Water/ 'Descriptions of Weather/ 'State 

 of Water'; and the Tables, showing the 

 averages of various conditions and circum- 

 stances in fact, the raison d'etre of his 

 whole arguments and practice. 



Where we find, as we believe, reasons to 

 differ, or where changes in conditions have 



