HISTORICAL 15 



time and money in angling) deals so judiciously and 

 freely in a little book of his of angling and especially of 

 making and angling with a fly for trout, that I will 

 give you his directions without much variation." 

 Note, dear reader, that Barker " spent much time and 

 money in angling " and be solemnly warned that he 

 ended his days in an almshouse which is where most 

 of us are likely to go if good fishing tackle does not 

 become cheaper! 



Subsequent editions of Walton's Angler contained 

 chapters on fly fishing by Charles Cotton. Cotton had 

 the reputation of being something of a " village 

 cut-up " in his day, but it being unbecoming to point 

 out the short-comings of a brother of the angle I will 

 not dwell on this. That he was an expert fly fisher 

 and a close friend of the simple, pious Iz. Wa., and 

 was privileged to address him as " Father," convinces 

 us that he was a young man of many admirable quali- 

 ties. 



APOLOGY 



Our object in writing this brief and necessarily in- 

 complete historical sketch of angling and fly fishing of 

 olden days is to trace the evolution of our subject 

 mainly and also to impress upon the young angler, 

 whether he be young in years or young in experience, 

 that in taking up scientific angling he at once becomes 

 one of a great brotherhood and practices an art that 

 is of ancient and honorable lineage the only pastime, 

 incidentally, that has produced a literary classic. Men 



