THE TROUT. 89 



desire of avoiding repetition of truisms, or the 

 promulgation of erroneous dogmas vouched for 

 by recognised authorities. I have observed, in all 

 books of Natural History, the great mischief which 

 arises from the system of " reading up." Naturalists 

 are not infallible, however scientific, accurate, and 

 observant they may generally be ; and if one in 

 good repute make a mistake and I never read a 

 book on the subject without detecting many 

 every subsequent writer adopts, and so per- 

 petuates it. 



The only two books on the subject of fishing 

 that have come under my notice for many years 

 are Walton's " Complete Angler " and Stewart's 

 " Practical Angler." From the former I am free 

 to confess I have derived neither pleasure nor 

 profit. There is no doubt but that in his day the 

 worthy citizen was an excellent angler; he was 

 also a simple-minded, kindly, prosy, and very 

 vain old gentlewoman ; but he lived in days when 

 coaches travelled at the rate of five miles an hour, 

 and Izaak Walton must even then have been con- 

 sidered a very slow coach indeed. I would not 

 whisper it at the "Walton's Head" or the "Wal- 

 ton's Arms," or hint it at the "Jolly Anglers" or 

 the " Rest," or any other resort of his so-called 

 disciples, but to my readers I will impart my 



