PBEFACE, 



" Gentle " Readeb — or, as probably I may call you, 

 " Brother Angler " — and you, too, gentle or ungentle 

 critic, as the case may be, please take the trouble to run 

 through these few introductory lines. Nothing is more 

 unfair to an author than to read or " dip into " his 

 book before seeing what he has to say about it in his 

 Preface. In this you will often find that he explains the 

 scope and plan (or perhaps absence of plan) of his work, 

 and tells his readers what to expect and what not. Thus, 

 to some extent he is able, by way of anticipation, to pro- 

 tect himself against unfair objections which might be 

 alleged against his performance, and to escape the wrath 

 of some readers who might be disappointed at not finding 

 what they expected to find, and what the author never 

 meant they should find. 



Let me, then, say a word or two by way of explanation 

 in reference to these " Notes." They are not intended to 

 form a book of methodical instruction for anglers ; nor do 

 they pretend to be exhaustive of the subjects treated of. 

 They are written on no very definite plan, though it will 

 be seen that those which deal with the different fish con- 



