214 FLY FISHING FOR TROUT. 



by his use of the journalistic 'we,' which robs 

 it of actuality. But let anyone who has not 

 done so read him, and read in particular his 

 fourth chapter. His creed it summed up in 

 this sentence : 'The nearer the motions of the 

 artificial flies resemble those of the natural 

 ones under similar circumstances the greater 

 will be the prospects of success.' And this, it 

 may be remarked, sums up the creed of the dry 

 fly also. Ronalds, twenty years earlier, had 

 produced the best book on natural and artificial 

 flies ever written. As prose it is not remark- 

 able : but it will always be read. 



There arose, in the years following Ronalds, 

 a body of writers who have been somewhat 

 neglected. Between 1847 and 1861 five really 

 good books appeared, little studied now. Their 

 authors were Wallwork, Wheatley, Theakston, 

 Jackson and Wade. All are deeply stamped 

 with the influence of Ronalds and together they 

 form a body of doctrine standing by itself. 

 Strangely enough, two of the five came from 

 the Yorkshire Ure, for Theakston lived at 

 Ripon and Jackson at Tanfield Mill, and two 

 more, Wallwork and Wade, were north country 

 men too. Only Wheatley came from the south. 

 He says that his book is a sequel to Ronalds, 

 'not an extension of the entomological part, but 

 an addition to the fisherman's means of success- 

 fully pursuing his favourite sport. Mr. 

 Ronalds has confined himself wholly to nature. 

 The angler, though generally an enthusiastic 



