xii PREFACE. 



to call a halt and leave the communications 

 unanswered, as we had neither the flies to send 

 nor the time to write ; and we hope this explana- 

 tion will satisfy our correspondents. 



In laying before the public this edition of 

 the Practical Angler we have revised it carefully 

 and embodied in it any additional information 

 obtained during the last four years. We have 

 also endeavoured to make some passages which 

 correspondents complained of, easier of compre- 

 hension. In the preface to the first edition, we 

 stated that our object in publishing was to show 

 how almost, if not quite, as good sport may be 

 had in clear water as in coloured. Subsequent 

 experience has convinced us that not only as 

 good, but better sport may be had in clear water 

 than in coloured. Why it is so will be explained 

 in this volume ; and, in conclusion, we have only 

 to hope that those anglers who have benefited 

 from a perusal of the first edition, will find their 

 education completed by a careful study of the 

 fourth. 



