H PRACTICAL FLY FISHING 



" cutts " have led many to believe that the text is 

 equally impractical although, as a matter of fact, it 

 contains not a little fishing sense and certainly the 

 Good Dame's praises of angling and her advice on the 

 ethics of the game are decidedly worth-while. The 

 " Treatyse " mentions a number of flies (including the 

 red hackle of /Elian) that still are in use. 



WALTON, BARKER AND COTTON 



This work was followed by a number of other an- 

 gling books but the crowning glory of all angling 

 literature is that sweet, simple idyl "The Compleat 

 Angler," written by Izaak Walton, in his 6oth year, 

 and first published in London in 1653. It' was un- 

 fortunate, however, that Father Izaak was not much of 

 a fly fisher himself but got much of his information on 

 the subject from Thomas Barker who wrote a small 

 book entitled " Barker's Delight or the Art of 

 Angling." 



Barker, by the way, did not have Walton's quaint 

 and appealing viewpoint nor his writing ability but he 

 was, I imagine, a more finished and practical angler. 

 Besides assisting Walton with his fly fishing problems, 

 he has the distinction of being the first angling writer 

 to write a practical treatise on tying flies; to distin- 

 guish between hackles, palmers and winged flies; to 

 describe fly fishing for salmon; to mention a reel and 

 gaff, and to point out the possibilities of getting big 

 fish at night. Says Walton: "I find that Mr. 

 Thomas Barker (A Gentleman who has spent much 



