Foreword 



fishing day must have had its effect on the writers 

 of these tales and given fluency and brilliancy to their 

 pens and made their stories throb with interest. 



Angling is an inspiration in itself, and to quote 

 from F. E. Pond, " the genuine angler is invariably 

 a poet." These stories are mostly written by genuine 

 anglers ; I am convinced that they are true experiences 

 and perhaps this has something to do with their being 

 so well told and with their immense appeal. I feel 

 it safe to venture here that the real fisherman will 

 like this book, and as it is intended only for such, 

 it will have the good fortune to bring only happiness 

 and no disappointments a lot to say for any book. 



There will be found a sprinkling of boyhood mem- 

 ories, and to me these are the best of all. There 

 is also throughout the pages abundant evidence that 

 the true angler is more a lover of nature than a fish 

 getter. Nearly every story contains a lesson which 

 will make for better practices, and here and there 

 will be found a touch of the angling-preacher, advo- 

 cating better and fairer methods. There is, too, a 

 sincerity in these stories, and a good cheer shining 

 through them which proves that the average fisher- 

 man is possessed of a gentleness of spirit, a pure se- 

 renity of mind and a contented heart. 



Francis Francis, in his great work, "A Book On 

 Angling," declares: "I thank God for the good gift 

 of flyfishing." Surely we fishermen can join " the 



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