PREFACE, 



A PREFACE to such a work as I now venture to offer to 

 the Angling, World is unnecessary, and only that I consider 

 it incumbent upon me to return thanks to my many kind 

 angling friends for the interest shown and the assistance 

 they have given me, I would launch the boat without the 

 christening ceremony. 



As a lover of the " gentle art" from the time that I first 

 caught a stickleback with the point of a rush and a crooked 

 pin, I have ever felt a great interest in all relating to it, 

 and an all absorbing desire to assist and teach the " young 

 idea." There are many well written books on " angling," 

 treating elaborately on every branch of it, and well worthy 

 of perusal. I have drawn particular attention to several of 

 them in the various articles of the " Lexicon." But this 

 effort of mine I do not class as a book at all, it is merely a 

 condensed reference to all that relates to fish and fishing, 

 so that the tyro, for whose especial benefit it is mainly 

 designed, may easily gain practical information on any 

 subject. It is not intended to supersede in any way the 

 various works already before the Angling World, but, on 

 the contrary, to encourage a perusal of them. I have 

 endeavoured to make the articles as concise as possible, 

 and, I believe, all that has been noted down is reliable. 



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