90 FLY FISHING FOE TEOUT. 



Perhaps this is the place to say something 

 about Bowlker's Art of Angling. There were 

 two Bowlkers, Richard and Charles, father and 

 son, of Ludlow in Shropshire. The first edition 

 in 1747 is by Richard ; but in the third edition 

 of 1780 (the second edition of 1774 I have never 

 seen) and all subsequent ones Charles Bowlker 

 is given as author. He died in 1779, and was 

 accounted the best fly fisher of his day. After 

 his death the book continued to be issued under 

 his name till 1854, some sixteen editions or 

 more, a record surpassed by no fishing book 

 except the Treatise and the Compleat Angler. 

 It is the best book by far of the period and an 

 excellent manual. Its excellence lies in three 

 features : the directions for fly fishing, 

 including one of the early recommendations of 

 upstream fishing, the directions for fly dress- 

 ing, and the knowledge shewn of the life of 

 the natural fly, which is much in advance of 

 anything that had appeared before. 



Woods used for rod making underwent a 

 revolution; for, owing to the increasing 

 facilities for importing the superior trans- 

 atlantic products, native woods largely dis- 

 appeared. No more is heard of hazel, the 

 universal favourite of early fishers, and still 

 less of eccentric materials such as crab tree, 

 juniper, medlar, blackthorn and yew. Ash and 

 deal alone survived, and they were only used 

 for butts. Four imported materials took their 

 place, hickory, lancewood, bamboo and green- 



