94 First Description of tJie Winch. 



which he knew and loved so well. He 

 speaks in his " Epistle Dedicatory," in 

 his enlarged second edition, published in 

 1657, of having been threescore years 

 gathering the information, so that he was 

 probably a young man when Walton 

 was born. It is most likely that he was 

 acquainted with Walton, for this second 

 edition was published by Walton's pub- 

 lisher, Richard Harriot, and in it he tells 

 us that " I live in Henry the yths Gifts, 

 the next door to the Gatehouse in West- 

 minster," and offers to give information 

 about fishing to "any noble or gentle 

 Angler" who may desire it. 



In addition to having the honour of 

 providing Walton with much of his in- 

 formation in the highest branch of angling, 

 fly-fishing, and giving the first clear but 

 simple directions for fly-making, Barker, 

 so far as I have been able to trace, was 

 the first English writer to mention the 

 use of the winch. 



BARKER THE FIRST TO DESCRIBE THE 

 USE OF THE REEL OR WINCH AND 

 THE GAFF IN ANGLING FOR SALMON 

 OR OTHER FISH. 



Not long since I saw a statement in an 

 angling paper that the use of the winch 



