r 



PEE FACE. 



SOME may say that there is no valid reason for another book on 

 fishing, there being so many already, but I would explain in 

 justification that there is a vast army of working-men anglers 

 in the kingdom, men who can only get a day's fishing occasion- 

 ally, and that it is to these working-men anglers I am more 

 particularly addressing the remarks contained in this little 

 volume. I myself am a working man, but I have had very 

 considerable experience in all kinds of Trent angling, when I 

 could spare the time from my work. 



The large, standard, valuable books upon angling have of 

 necessity a vast number of pages devoted to salmon, trout, 

 and grayling fishing, and as a natural consequence the price 

 is so much that a working man, as a rule, cannot afford to 

 buy them. I must confess, being a working man, I was in 

 the same swim as my fellows in regard to these until two 

 or three years ago, when, owing to the great kindness of 

 some gentlemen, particularly R. B. Marston, Esq., the editor 

 of the Fishing Gazette, I have become the proud and 

 happy possessor of a few of these grand and valuable books. 

 I have a notion that a book which contains some practical 

 information on the art of bottom fishing would be gladly 

 welcomed by those to whom I have referred, or by the would- 

 be anglers generally, if it could be published in a cheap form. 

 Now I am confident enough to hope that this volume will 

 meet the requirements of such- persons. 



The instructions given here are the results of carefully- 

 conned experience, and as the Trent angler is supposed to be 

 the most scientific of bottom fishermen in the kingdom, I 

 trust the novice will derive some profit from the principles I 

 lay down. I have expended a good deal of time in the 

 preparation of this work, but this has been given willingly, 

 the whole task in fact having been a "labour of love." I 

 have added a chapter on " pike fishing," and in this edition 

 a chapter is also added on " worm fishing for salmon in the 

 Nottingham style," under the impression that it also may be 

 useful and interesting. 



289 



