11 PREFACE. 



cious individuals being bottom fishers, pure et 

 simple, and probably fishing in three totally 

 different methods, will declare that his is the only 

 "certain " style of Angling. Dear Eeader, be ad- 

 vised by me, there is no really u certain " way 

 of catching fish with the rod and line, for when 

 everything may appear to be perfectly favorable, 

 they wont feed ; another day, the water, weather 

 and other etceteras, seem the reverse of pleasant, 

 and yet somehow they will feed. Why is this ? 

 Because probably there was something or other, 

 insects perchance, in the water, which they 

 preferred to your bait the first day ; whilst on 

 the second, versatile creatures, they changed 

 their minds and unfortunately for them pre- 

 ferred your bait to the insects. The nearest 

 approach to certainty is to fish fine and keep as 

 much out of sight of the fish as possible. My 

 object, therefore, has been in these pages to 

 place before you as clearly and concisely as 

 possible, the most modern and successful methods 

 of angling for each description of fish, and to 

 impress strongly on your mind that "practise 

 makes perfect/' 



Should you, Dear Eeader, be an " Old Hand" 



