Henshall — Angling. 177 



templative Man's Recreation," which was published in London 

 in 1653. This well-known and remarkable book, which treats 

 of many subjects in addition to angling, has run through more 

 than a hundred editions, edited by various persons in Great 

 Britain and the United States. 



Walton was essentially a bait-fisher, and his book relates 

 mostly to bait-fishing, but some twenty years after the first 

 edition of his wonderful book, there was added to it Part II, 

 by Charles Cotton which comprises his "Instructions how to 

 angle for a trout or grayling in a clear stream." These direc- 

 tions treated mostly of fly-fishing, and the original book has 

 since been known as Walton & Cotton's Complete Angler. 

 Isaak Walton, the patron saint of all good anglers, declared, 

 more than three hundred years ago, "Angling to be an art, and 

 an art worthy the knowledge and practice of a wise man." His 

 book is so universally known that any further reference to it 

 is not necessary. 



During the latter part of the eighteenth century and in the 

 nineteenth century many books on angling were published in 

 Great Britain, good, bad and indifferent. In the United States 

 the earliest books on angling were published in the nineteenth 

 century. Among the first, most noteworthy and thoroughly 

 American, were the American Angler's Book, by Thaddeus 

 Norris, treating of the brook trout and other fresh water 

 fishes. About the same time was published Fishing in Amer- 

 ican Waters, by Genio C. Scott, on the striped bass and other 

 brackish water species. Then came Game Fish of the North, 

 and Superior Fishing, by Robert B. Roosevelt, all being most 

 excellent works. Since these pioneer American books on ang- 

 ling, many others have been issued, some of much value, others 

 meritorious and desirable. 



To return to Dame Berners, it may be well to give a list 

 of the fishes described by her in her treatise, and to refer to 

 the baits recommended for their capture. To her great credit 

 it may also be said that she mentioned only a single hook for 

 either the artificial fly or for natural baits. What a sad and 

 reproachful comment on our methods of the present day when 

 artificial lures are made of wood, metal or bone, each bristling 

 with from three to a dozen murderous fish hooks, and the 

 same may be said of Walton and Cotton and the anglers of 

 their time. 



Substituting modern orthography. Dame Berners says of 

 the salmon : 'Tor by cause that the salmon is the most stately 

 fish that any man may angle for in fresh water, therefore I 

 propose to begin at him. The salmon is a gentle fish, but awk- 

 ward to take." For baits she names the red worm and a 

 "sovereign hait" that breeds on a water dock ; "Also you may 



