24 ANGLING. 



line allowed a few minutes to dry. The frequent spoiling 

 or whipping-off of baits is the great objection to this 

 method. 



Yishing with the artificial fly is, perhaps, the most 

 popular kind of fishing practised in this kingdom ; 

 thousands of anglers never practise any other kind of 

 fishing. I need hardly describe what an artificial fly is, 

 but for the few who are quite uninitiated I may merely 

 say that it is an imitation of a fly, made of various 

 materials, chiefly silks, fur, and feathers, which is fixed 

 on to a hook. This is then cast to a distance on the 

 surface of the water, and, being drawn or carried by the 

 stream gently floating along, is mistaken by the fish for 

 some live fly or other insect, and the fish rises to take it, 

 when, before he can discover the cheat, the hook is twitched 

 sharply into his jaw, and he is translated speedily to 

 another element. A good variety of fish are taken by the 

 artificial fly, chiefly trout and salmon, and all the other 

 species of the salmon, &c., as sea trout, grayling, and 

 charr ; more or less chub, and dace, and sometimes roach, 

 perch, and pike, and even eels and flounders have been 

 known to take a fly. These are the various methods 

 employed by the lawful brothers of the angle, in their 

 endeavours to capture the fish of the British Islands. I 

 proceed now to deal with each fish and its mode of capture 

 separately. 



