VI 



These arc modifications which the best of St. 

 Peter's followers (excepting those ever- fortunate 

 authors whose trumpeters have unhappily blown 

 their last) must ever compound for ; for those 

 anglers who anticipate constant success, will be 

 grievously disappointed. The sanguine dispo- 

 sition, however, which gives birth to, and nou- 

 rishes, such confident eagerness, is of the ut most 

 avail to the juvenile Angler ; provided it be ac- 

 companied with sufficient patience, wtierewith to 

 counterbalance a certain hasty petulance which- is 

 very apt to peep forth after long speculation at a 

 motionless float. 



The want of unfac rsal experience rmiy, in the 

 opinion of the class above alluded to r subject me 

 to degradation; but without justice. Several 

 counties contain every Fish worthy the Angler's 

 notice, and can boast of many inhabitants, whose 

 skill and general knowledge would fully warrant 

 their becoming authors on this topic. 1 have the 

 pleasure to know, that many such characters 

 have expressed their warm approbation of my 

 Treatise, before it was committed to the press ; 

 and, that they concur with me in opinion regard- 

 ing the gross errors, not to say wilful mis-state- 

 ments, made by some who have written on Ang- 

 ling, especially where local circumstances have 

 been misrepresented in the most impudent man- 

 ner. 



This is, perbaps ; rather bold in me to express ; 



