11. PREFACE. 



grown up amongst observant anglers a decided 

 preference for hackled flies, and wisely so, and 

 this preference is by no means confined within 

 the limits of our county. The production of such 

 a work required, however, an amount of time 

 which is not at the disposal of a man tied, as I 

 am, to the cares and anxieties of business and 

 even an angler might well shirk the patient 

 labour which it involved so, after entertaining 

 the idea for some time, I let it drop. 



But in October, 1884, my brother anglers did 

 me the very undeserved honour of placing me 

 in the chair at the dinner of Yorkshire Anglers, 

 held at the Queen's Hotel, in Leeds ; and, during 

 the course of the evening, an esteemed friend, who 

 was aware of my former intention, again suggested 

 the opening there was for a sufficiently comprehen- 

 sive work on trout flies, A few days later the subject 

 was again mentioned at a meeting of anglers, and, 

 finding a unanimous opinion on the matter, I set 

 to work. From that time to this every moment 

 of my leisure has been steadily employed, with 



