must be taken not to scare the fish, either by the sight 

 of the angler or his shadow, or by awkwardness in 

 managing the rod, line, and flies. You have only to 

 watch a fly-fisher and a bottom-fisher a short time 

 to decide where the greatest skill is required and 

 attained. 



I recollect, when a very little boy, having a book > 

 in which there was a coloured print of a trout, and 

 underneath were these lines 



" Angler, mind well what you're about, 

 If you would catch the cunning trout," 



and I suppose I must have profited by the advice, 

 for in an old diary, kept by me in 1839, there is a 

 record of my having caught four trout weighing 

 7ilbs. when I was thirteen years of age. But those 

 were not caught with a fly. 



The late Mr. Francis Francis, than whom there is 

 no higher authority, says in one of his books, " There 

 is far greater skill, caution, patience, and cunning 

 required to delude a brook trout than is thought of 

 in landing the noblest twenty-pound salmon that 

 ever sailed up Tweed or Tay." And in further proof 

 of this I will give an extract from that excellent little 

 book, " Stewart's Practical Angler." The author says : 

 " Everything combines to render- fly-fishing the 

 most attractive of all branches of the angler's art. 

 The attempt to capture trout, which are seen to 

 rise at natural flies, is in itself an excitement which 

 no other method possesses. Then the smallness of 

 the hook and the fineness of the tackle necessary for 

 success increases the danger of escape, and conse- 

 quently the excitement and the pleasure of the 

 capture ; and, for our own part, we would rather 



