INTRODUCTORY 11 



branches of angling solely with the view of showing 

 how the greatest weight of trout can be captured 

 in a given time. There are not many days from 

 May till October, in which an angler, thoroughly 

 versed in all the mysteries of the craft, should not 

 kill at least twelve pounds weight of trout in any 

 county in the south of Scotland, not excepting 

 Edinburghshire itself.* And to describe the way in 

 which this may be done is our object in this small 

 volume. 



* [This statement might be held as pretty nearly correct at 

 the time Mr. Stewart wrote it at least, taking into account his 

 then ideas and habits as to "a day," which a jealous gamekeeper, 

 whom he had always utterly beaten, described as " twenty-four 

 hours of creeping and crawling." In point of fact, Mr. Stewart, 

 during summer, liked to be on the water soon after sunrise, and 

 he continued with little intermission till towards four in the 

 afternoon. In his later years he had not strength for work so 

 severe, but still would not fail to begin by seven o'clock. Even 

 those possessing the requisite strength, and a good share of Mr. 

 Stewart's unequalled skill, would now fail to procure 12 Ibs. on 

 " many days" " in any county in the south of Scotland," so rapid 

 has been the increase of pollutions and drainage, and of anglers. 

 Subsequent to the first edition of his work, Mr. Stewart had seen 

 cause to reduce his figures, although he allowed his original state- 

 ment to stand in the body of the work (see p. 142) ; and it is 

 known that before his death he confessed to a necessity still 

 further to lower his estimate.] 



