PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION xiii 



admits the greater advantages of personal tuition 

 when it is obtainable. But, on the other hand, he 

 is confident that, by explaining in simple language 

 the science of casting and fishing with the trout fly, 

 in similar terms to those which he uses when teaching 

 the student personally, the reader will, by careful 

 attention, find himself competent to take the field, rod 

 in hand, and rapidly acquire a success which will well 

 repay him for his trouble. It is to those who are anxious 

 to learn, but who, at the same time, may regard this 

 delightful accomplishment as not only difficult to 

 acquire, but necessitating a greater expenditure of 

 time and money than may possibly be at their disposal, 

 that the author has written these pages. 



If he should be successful in imparting to others a 

 skill which has afforded him so many delightful and 

 happy hours, he will, in some measure, repay debts 

 which he owes, not only to a kindly Providence for 

 affording so many opportunities of fishing, but to those 

 who have, by their writings or by personal assistance, 

 enabled him to profit by it. 



He would ask his brother angler to deal gently 

 with this book, for which he can only claim one merit 

 namely, that it is written in all sincerity to assist others 

 who, through lack of opportunity, are neither very 

 experienced nor skilful; and if any excuse is needed 

 for such an attempt, it is that he is impelled to do so 

 by as great a love for this noble sport as that felt by 

 that dear old past master Izaak Walton. 



