INTRODUCTION, 



THE following Work has been written with no 

 other view than to place before the public, in a 

 condensed form, and at a reasonable price, a body 

 of useful information on the Art of Angling; 

 some of which, I admit, is to be found in former 

 works, but at great cost and trouble; most of 

 the expensive books on the subject being en- 

 larged with songs and other matter of little 

 moment (as far as instruction in the art goes). 

 Although these may be very amusing, they tend 

 to lengthen the work, and enhance the price, a 

 thing of consequence in this age of economy; 

 to obviate which, and at the same time modernize 

 and improve* (as far as lies in my power) this 

 pleasant recreation, is the purport of this work. 

 Most of the places will be described from a 

 personal acquaintance with them. With regard 

 to the Fish, I do not pretend to give a copious 

 natural history of them; but a concise descrip- 

 tion of their haunts, food, spawning-time, &c. 

 accompanied with cuts, drawn from the life, 

 giving as good a representation of them as 

 lies in my power; being draughtsman and en- 

 graver, as well as author, the whole of the faults 

 (and no doubt there are many) are my own; for 

 which I beg the reader's indulgence. I shall 

 also endeavour to class such fish as are taken 



* It would appear as if the science of Angling was incapable of 

 improvement, to look over the different works on the subject for the 

 last century, they being nearly all alike, "Sailer's" excepted. I 

 cannot see why it should not keep pace in improvement with any 

 other science. 



