THE TREATISE. 35 



business of catching fish. That is all that can 

 be said. It is dangerous to exaggerate the 

 resemblance to modern times and to attribute 

 to the writer refinements of which she was 

 ignorant. Fly fishing is in its infancy and has 

 a long road to travel before three pounders are 

 caught in still and sunny June on 4X gut and 

 000 flies. But it is as great a mistake to over- 

 look the high degree of knowledge which every 

 line of the Treatise shows, and the more it is 

 studied the more profound grows the conviction 

 of its excellence and of the high standard of 

 practice which it presupposes. 



