PREFACE. 



through my ignorance of anything beyond the mere 

 rudiments of the subject to be learned from a 

 book. If I fail in this object, pray, kindly reader, 

 impute the failure to my lack of words to express 

 distinctly each operation ; and if perchance I am 

 successful in stimulating your desire to dress your 

 own flies, and in showing you, as I fervently hope 

 to do, how to accomplish this end, I shall be 

 amply rewarded by your appreciation of these 

 pages. 



Before launching my little bark upon the open 

 waters, I must perform the pleasant duty of 

 acknowledging assistance received in the details 

 of production. Publishers are usually very loth 

 to incur the responsibilities of bringing out works 

 of this character, which entail much expense, and 

 require great delicacy of management in several 

 important particulars. Few persons can imagine 

 the difficulties to be overcome, and I feel that not 

 only my individual thanks, but possibly the thanks 

 of the entire angling fraternity, are heartily due 

 to Messrs. Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, and 

 Rivington, and in an especial degree to Mr. R. B. 

 Marston, Editor of the " Fishing Gazette," who 

 took a deep personal interest in the progress of 

 the venture. This firm not only undertook the 

 heavy pecuniary liability and rendered me every 

 assistance in their power, but gave me practically 

 carte blanche in arranging matters of detail with 

 printers, engravers on stone and wood, and 



