70 y Grandchildren 

 JUDITH AffD ERIC, 



and to all my other grandchildren whose names have not 

 yet appeared in print, 



I DEDICATE THIS BOOK. 



I think I ought to have dedicated this, in all probability 

 my last book, to my old friend CLARK RUSSELL, for 

 he it was who first tempted me into print. I wrote 

 some letters which appeared in The Fishing Gazette, 

 and therefrom proceeded in course of time my first 

 little book, An Amateur Angler's Days in Dove Dale. 

 / owe my old friend a debt of gratitude for many a kind 

 mark of friendship since that time, and not the least for 

 his having done me the honour of dedicating one of his 

 charming novels to me; but I am sure he will pardon me 

 for not dedicating this volume to him, firstly, because it is 

 not worthy of him, and, secondly, because there would 

 have been a little tempest among my grandchildren. 

 "Mind, Grandpa," said pretty Judith, sJiaking her finger 

 at me "remember!!" The worst of the business is, 

 there is such a lot of these grandchildren, who, because I 

 have already printed the names of two or three of them in 

 my books, consider themselves to be slighted because they 

 have not had books dedicated to them also ! Why, bless 

 me, if I were to write a book for every one of them, the 

 British Museum would hardly hold them ! and, worst of 

 all, nobody would buy the books if I printed them. I hope 

 I have solved the difficulty by dedicating this book to them 

 all in a bunch. A mere list of all their names would 

 take up a whole page, and the printer won't allow it. 



THE AMATEUR ANGLER. 



9087-20 



