IV. INTRODUCTION. 



Iii order to render Ibis new edition of "Bowl- 

 ker's Art of Angling" more deserving of general 

 approbation, it has been carefully corrected, 

 improved, and greatly enlarged : in every part 

 of the work these improvements will be recog- 

 nized and duly appreciated by the judicious 

 angler ; but especially in that part which treats 

 on Fly-fishing. 



This branch of the art is the most agreeable 

 and important, and may be practised, with the 

 artificial fly, so as to be freed from an objec- 

 tion sometimes brought against angling, as a 

 cruel and ungenerous amusement, deriving great 

 part of its attendant pleasure from the sufferings 

 of the miserable insect writhing in torment, im- 

 paled upon the hook. Now, though it will be 

 admitted on all hands, that this objection has no 

 proper bearing on the subject, so far as con- 

 cerns the pleasure derived from it, yet as every 

 humane angler will wish to remove from his fa- 

 vourite amusement such attendant circumstan- 

 ces as produce painful feelings on reflection, he 

 will be induced to use the imitative in prefe- 

 rence to the living bait. If the activity neces- 

 sary to this mode be taken into consideration, 

 it must be considered more favourable to health 

 than the tedious watch ings of other modes of 

 angling. But after all, it must be conceded, 

 that different tastes have different sources of 



