viii FAMILIAR FISH, THEIR HABITS AND CAPTURE 



sets forth most clearly just what should be said in 

 advance to intending readers of this volume : 



" Next let me tell the Reader, that in that which 

 is the more useful part of this Discourse, that is to 

 say, the observations of the nature, and breeding, and 

 seasons, and catching, of Fish, I am not so simple as 

 uot to know, that a captious Reader may find excep- 

 tions against something said of some of these : and 

 therefore I must entreat him to consider, that expe- 

 rience teaches us to know, that several countries alter 

 the time, and I think almost the manner, of Fishes' 

 breeding, but doubtless of their being in season. . . . 



"Now for the Art of Catching Fish, that is to 

 say, how to make a man that was none, to be an An- 

 gler by a book ; he that undertakes it shall undertake 

 a harder task than Mr. Hales, a most valiant and ex- 

 cellent Fencer, who in a printed book, called ' A pri- 

 vate school of Defence,' undertook to teach that art 

 or science, and was laughed at for his labour. Not 

 but that many useful things might be learned by that 

 book, but he was laughed at, because that art was not 

 to be taught by words, but practice : and so must 

 Angling. And note also, that in this Discourse I do 

 not undertake to say all that is known, or may be said 

 of it, but I undertake to acquaint the Reader, with 

 many things that are not usually known to every 

 Angler ; and I shall leave gleanings and observations 



