hook, play, and capture a trout of a pound weight 

 with fly, than one of a pound and a half with min- 

 now or worm, where, the hooks being larger, there 

 is less chance of their losing their hold, and, the 

 gut being stronger, there is less risk of its breaking. 

 Artificial fly-fishing is also the cleanest and most 

 gentlemanly of all the methods of capturing trout. 

 The angler who practises it is saved the trouble of 

 working with worms, of catching, keeping alive, or 

 salting minnows, or searching the river's bank for 

 the natural insect. Armed with a light single-handed 

 rod and a few flies, he may wander from county 

 to county and kill trout wherever they are to be 

 found." 



In addition to the pleasure and satisfaction ex- 

 perienced in exerting the faculties necessary to 

 capture the most cunning and cautious of fish, what 

 can be more delightful in the sweet spring-time than 

 to take one's rod and stroll away into the green 

 meadows, by the side of the rippling brook, where 

 the eye is gratified by the trees and hedge-rows 

 which are putting forth their young leaves ; where 

 the sense of smell is refreshed by innumerable wild 

 flowers and herbs, and where the ear is charmed by 

 the soft " coo " of the wood pigeon, the tinkling of a 

 distant sheep-bell, the cry of a partridge to its mate, 

 or the occasional splash of a trout in the stream, 

 which sounds alone disturb the silence ? Well may 

 Walton exclaim : 



" I was for that time lifted above earth, 

 Possessed of joys not promised in my birth." 



An all- wise Creator gave man dominion " over the 

 fish of the sea, over the fowls of the air, and over every 



