INTRODUCTORY. 



THERE are three daises of men who read angling 

 books. First, and least numerous, are those who 

 care nothing for fishing, but are fond of the country, 

 and like to read those descriptions of country life 

 and scenes which abound in angling books more 

 than others ; next coma those who are fond of 

 fishing, and are so lucky as to have plenty of it. 

 These, although they cannot keep their hands off 

 a book on their favourite sport, if they see it, yet 

 look down upon it with some feeling of superiority 

 to it : they know more than it can teach them, and 

 all their lives are passed in the enjoyment to 

 satiety of what it describes as almost heavenly ; 

 and last, there is the large class for which books 

 of this kind are chiefly written the men who 

 are sportsmen at heart, and passionately devoted 

 to angling, yet have little time, and perhaps less 

 opportunity, to indulge in the pursuit of that 

 which would bring them happiness. These men 

 read with avidity whatever is written upon the 

 gentle art, and so make up in fancy for the loss of 

 the reality. I confess that I am one of this last- 



