AMERICAN TROUT-STREAM INSECTS 



most delightful branch of our well-beloved recrea- 

 tion. True, it forced me into some months of close 

 study during the hot weather ; but the final outcome 

 was a fascinating and agreeable surprise, and I am 

 well repaid. I still have much to learn; but that's 

 the fun of it. I am not envious of the fly-makers' 

 superior workmanship, because I know that prac- 

 tice makes perfection if you devote sufficient time 

 to the work. While I desire very much that an- 

 glers will get my artificials and test them, I also 

 wish them to follow my footsteps and enjoy the 

 pleasure of tying their own flies, either after my 

 own drawing of the insect or from the natural in- 

 sect itself. That is the reason I include a chapter 

 in this book on how to tie artificial flies. What 

 success I have achieved, aside from the work in- 

 volved, is due to a great extent to Mr. Halford's 

 excellent chapters on how to tie flies in "Trout- 

 Stream Entomology" — a book every thoughtful 

 American angler should read, if not possess; for it 

 goes much farther than I do and is more elaborate 

 in treatment. 



When the patterns of nearly one hundred newly 

 named flies were finally made, another serious trou- 

 ble appeared as to how they could be supplied to 

 anglers at a reasonable cost. The great number of 

 communications from magazine readers and other 

 anglers soon made it evident that I could not possi- 

 bly alone supply enough samples of my own handi- 



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