THE FLY FISHER'S GUIDE. 3 



yet the memory of the writer does not furnish a 

 single instance of a fly fisher deserting his occu- 

 pation, and transferring his preference to any 

 other of the list of rural sports. This observa- 

 tion is very general, and is certainly a strong 

 argument in favour of the superior pleasure 

 which angling affords. 



The peculiar and almost immediate relief which 

 this innocent pursuit yields to the distressed or 

 uneasy mind, by calming the perturbations which 

 misfortunes or other vexatious circumstances may 

 have excited, is to be ranked amongst the first of 

 its recommendations. But as this relief is also 

 experienced in some degree by the practiser of 

 other modes of angling, it may not be considered 

 precisely correct to class it amongst the advan- 

 tages of fly fishing. To proceed, therefore, to 

 those observations upon which the claim of 

 superiority is founded. The first which presents 

 itself is exercise. The fly fisher is in constant 

 motion, and travels several miles whilst prac- 

 tising his art; whereas the ground angler re- 



