66 MODERN PRACTICAL ANGLER. 



sense of the term implies contentment with what is ; 

 and if that were my condition in regard to the theory 

 and practice of Angling, and especially of fly-fishing, 

 this book would certainly not have been written. The 

 measures which I am about to submit to the general 

 parliament of anglers are decidedly radical — revolu- 

 tionary would not be too strong a term, — for they aim 

 at revolutionizing the fundamental principles of the fly- 

 fisher's 'constitution' — the very alpha and omega of 

 his craft — I mean the system of artificial flies. 



Trout fly-fishers may nowadays be divided roughly 

 into two parties, which may be described as the 

 " colourists," or those who think " colour " everything 

 and " form " nothing ; and the " formalists," or '' entomo- 

 logists" as they have been sometimes termed, who 

 hold, with the late Mr. Ronalds, that the natural flies 

 actually on the water at any given time should be 

 exactly imitated by the artificial fly used, down to the 

 most minute particulars of form and tinting. The latter 

 class includes probably the very great majority of 

 anglers — both apostles and disciples — who have probably 

 in most cases imbibed their opinions, until recently 

 unchallenged, almost unconsciously and without ever 

 questioning their soundness. The " colourists " are still 

 but a section, though an increasing one, of the general 

 fly-fishing community, and are represented by a few 

 enterprising spirits in advance not only of their age, but 

 also of the truth. The theories of both I hold to be dis- 



