viii Preface. 



to dress flies after Nature, plates, carefully coloured 

 from natural specimens, have been prepared by 

 the writer and his son expressly for this work. 

 From description only, colour, shape, and propor- 

 tion in flies would be but imperfectly understood ; 

 indeed the very names of compound colours are to 

 many persons unintelligible. 



The method of dressing flies, especially the 

 May-fly or Stone-fly, and the invention of many 

 hereinafter named, with instructions as to rods, 

 throwing or casting, trolling and worm and roe 

 fishing, cad -bait and creeper - fishing, as well as 

 that of the natural May-fly and Blue-bottle-fly, 

 have been adopted expressly from the writer's own 

 experience. 



It is, therefore, hoped that these efforts to lay 

 down sound principles, and render correct instruc- 

 tion in the fascinating art of Fly-fishing, will not 

 be found totally abortive. 



Relying upon the kind criticism of those for 

 whose especial benefit the following pages were 

 drawn up, and wishing them all " many a merrie 

 fishing daye," he subscribes himself their most 

 obedient and humble servant, 



HENRY WADE, 



Honorary Secretary to the Wear Valley Angling Association. 



Wolsingham, Durham, 

 Dec. 22, 1860. 



