14 TEOUT FISHING 



unskilled in the Art he treats of, all the minute 

 details of his practice, which often form the most 

 important parts of his own skill and knowledge : 

 his rough ideas of the subject he may give, and 

 they will be perhaps remembered, ay and by the 

 scholar thought all-sufficient and infallible, till 

 sad experience disproves his notions and scatters 

 his treasure nostrums; should he even partially 

 succeed in his application of the crude ideas of 

 others, the only reason he can give to his in- 

 quiring mind why he succeeds, is, that some one 

 told him by such means he would do so, or 

 because some one who did likewise, succeeded; 

 the novelty of experiment will soon wear off, and 

 variety of means being deficient carelessness will 

 soon overtake the disciple, his shallow knowledge 

 will be speedily exhausted, and an idea or feeling 

 of tameness will attach itself to the subject which 

 in no long time will be altogether abandoned, or 

 if awhile pursued, more numerous trials will not 

 effect a corresponding change or increase in suc- 

 cess, which would assuredly have resulted, had 

 the fisherman in the first instance learned to think 

 for himself, instead of implicitly relying on the 

 statements and dogmas of other people. 



Of all the various modes of fishing, artificial 

 fly-fishing is beyond compare the most exciting ; 

 it is that which beyond all others is sport ; now 

 although we feel confident of our assertion, we 

 may yet obtain much amusement and profitable 

 knowledge in learning and prosecuting other 

 modes of fishing, indeed the less we limit our 



