THE 



ANGLING CLUBS AND PRESERVATION SOCIETIES 

 OF LONDON AND THE PROVINCES, 



INTRODUCTION. 



IN writing this handbook it was my original Intention to 

 give something like a short history of the formation and 

 present position of some, at any rate, of the chief Angling 

 Societies of the metropolis. Considering that there are 

 certainly over 1 50 of these societies in London alone, I well 

 knew that I had set myself no light task. Mapping the 

 matter over in my own mind, I came to the conclusion that 

 the only course for me to adopt was to seek the co-opera- 

 tion of the societies themselves, asking through their various 

 secretaries for information as to their origin, and also what, 

 if any, good work they were doing in the present. With 

 this view a letter was sent to the secretaries of the various 

 metropolitan clubs, apprising them of my design and 

 intention. I have to thank a small proportion of these 

 gentlemen, and I regret to say a very small one, for the 

 courtesy of a reply. The larger number evidently con- 

 sidered the matter beneath their valuable notice, and so 

 ignored it altogether. The situation hardly requires further 

 comment. 



