8 BOTTOM FISHING IN THE NOTTINGHAM STYLE. 



interval of a hundred years that any other work made its 

 appearance, which came then in the shape of Leonard 

 Mascall's " Booke of Fishing with Hooke and Line," about 

 the year 1590. A few more writers of more or less note 

 followed Mascall, until the year 1653, when the well-known 

 work of Izaak Walton was first published under the title of 

 " The Compleat Angler, or the Contemplative Man's Kecrea- 

 tion." During Walton's lifetime five editions of his book 

 were published. (A few years ago, at a public sale, these 

 five editions, the five copies being perfect and in good pre- 

 servation, realized IQQL) Since Walton's time his book has 

 run through a vast number of editions, and is still printed 

 at intervals, and I suppose will be ; for we must take it for 

 granted that the " Compleat Angler " is likely to remain a 

 standard and popular work among Englishmen as long as 

 will the works of Dickens or Scott. 



And now, after the fifth edition of Walton had been pub- 

 lished, very few works on angling made their appearance 

 until another hundred years had passed away; although 

 Walton's book during that period progressed to the four- 

 teenth edition. After that time writers of angling literature 

 came thicker and faster, volume after volume coming in 

 quick succession, and continuing up to the present time ; and 

 I read that there are something like 600 different works on 

 angling in existence ; and the literature of angling is one of 

 the richest branches of literature in England at the present 

 time. As the writers have increased, each one adding his 

 quota to the common stock, so has the art progressed towards 

 perfection, until we almost wonder that there should be any 

 fish left in our rivers, lakes, and ponds. As, however, the 

 fishermen have become learned, nature or instinct has or- 

 dained that the fish should become learned too, and so rods, 

 reels, lines, gut, hooks, and baits have been robbed of part of 

 their destructiveness ; and our old friend and father Izaak, 

 could he revisit this earth, would perhaps find it very con- 

 siderably more difficult to fill his creel with fish (using the 

 same tackle now as he used while on his earthly pilgrimage), 

 for the purpose of awarding its contents to " pleasure some 

 poor body." 



