Preface 



OP the writing of books especially angling books 

 there is no end. From the day when Dame 

 Juliana Berners perpetrated her "Treatise on 

 Fysshynge " down to the date of the issue of the 

 latest prose idyll by Sir Edward Grey on " Fly-fishing," 

 every department of the sport has been treated of by a 

 multitude of writers. The necessity of apologising, 

 therefore, for adding still another book becomes apparent, 

 and the excuse offered is briefly that the contents 

 consist of practical experiences which may be of some 

 benefit to others. 



As we all know, angling as a sport has wonderfully 

 increased in popularity during the last few years and 

 thanks to railways has changed from a truly rural 

 amusement to one of the favourite recreations of the 

 town-dweller. 



Some years ago, also, anglers were essentially men of 

 leisure, who could afford themselves ample time and 

 opportunity to slip away to some rural retreat, far from 

 the madding crowd, for somewhat lengthened periods. 

 Some, indeed, devoted nearly their whole lives to one or 

 other form of this sport. Thus, when a friend once 

 asked Stewart, the author of "The Practical Angler," as 

 to what he was at that time doing for his living, he 

 replied, " Man, I'm an angler," judging this evidently an 

 occupation requiring all his talents and energies. Now- 

 adays, however, things are much altered, and the great 

 multitude of rod-fishers are working men whose only 

 chance of sport is an odd day snatched now and then 

 from a busy life. By " working men " my readers must 

 not think that I mean alone the horny-handed sons of 



