x Preface 



and while all Anglers are fishermen there are many 

 fishermen who are not Anglers. 



"Anglo-Saxon," writing in the New York Press, 

 October 14, 1915, uses the term "gentleman Anglers." 

 He should have said "gentleman fishermen" (Anglers), 

 because all Anglers are gentlemen, regardless of their 

 business calling, appearance, personality, compan- 

 ionship, etc. When a man, fisherman or no fisher- 

 man, develops into an Angler he must first become 

 gentle in order to be of the gentle art. "Angling is 

 the gentle art ' ' (Walton) . ' ' The gentle art of angling ' ' 

 (Cotton). 



"If true Anglers, " says Genio C. Scott, "you are 

 sure to be gentle." 



Peter Flint (New York Press, Oct. 15, 1915) : "Our 

 most successful Anglers, amateurs as well as pro- 

 fessionals." 



All Anglers are amateurs, brother Peter. There 

 are no professional Anglers, though there are both 

 amateur and professional fishermen, and those fisher- 

 men who are amateurs are Anglers. The word 

 "amateur " seems to be adrift upon the same bewilder- 

 ing tideway as the words "angler" and "angling." 

 "Amateur" hasn't the definition commonly attributed 

 to it it doesn't signify inefficiency, inexperience, 

 unpracticality, etc., as do the words "beginner," 

 "neophyte," "tyro," etc. An amateur in fishing, or 

 farming, or any other pastime or pursuit, may be far 

 more practical, more experienced, more proficient, and 

 better equipped in tools and paraphernalia than a 

 professional, and he usually is so; he is certainly 

 always so in angling. 



Watch your word. 



" It is the belief of Acker that hand-line fishing is as 



