206 FISHING GOSSIP. 



as a legacy to some of our more gifted or cosmopolitan 

 contemporaries, and confine ourselves here to a branch 

 of the art of puff falling strictly within our own scope, 

 and which we will denominate the " puff piscatorial." 

 Mr. FREDERICK ALLIES, of the good and ancient town 

 of Worcester, who, besides being a vendor of fishing 

 rods and tackle, is, as he describes himself, " Piscicul- 

 turist," and " Inventor and Maker " (whatever these 

 titles may signify), has issued to his friends and ad- 

 mirers in general a hand-bill or, as it were, manifesto 

 setting forth the various merits of the Artificial 

 Grasshopper, in the manufacture of which, it seems, 

 he considers he has a sort of pre-eminence or mono- 

 poly, though on what grounds we confess we do not 

 quite understand, as we happen to know that the 

 invention was first introduced to the Teme grayling- 

 fishers, by Mr. Jones of Ludlow, some five-and-forty 

 years ago, and as Mr. Allies' insects appear to be in 

 all respects very much like those sold by many other 

 fishing-tackle dealers. As we are always ready, how- 

 ever, to lend a helping hand to modest merit when 

 we meet with it, we will give Mr. Allies the benefit 

 of our pages gratis, and circulate his hand-bill for 

 him, capitals, italics, and all 



" Not wholly free, and yet as 'twere for nought " 



only (as Mr. Allies would say) begging our readers on 

 no account to read it, because it is so very funny ! 



