66 NOTES ON FISH AND FISHING. 



books I knew, The Erne, its Legends and Us Fly-fishing : 

 while also among the " Eeverends " is Dr. Badham, the 

 author of Prose Halieutics, or Ancient and Modern Fish 

 Tattle, which contains vast stores of piscatorial as well as 

 ichthyological chit-chat of the most interesting character. 

 I might almost add that old Izaac Walton himself was 

 more than half a divine. 



I cannot say that I am altogether satisfied with the 

 existing Literature of Fishing ; I mean with that dating 

 before (say) the last fifty years. Twaddle and repetition 

 reign supreme in many of the older works, which are full 

 too of all kinds of exaggerations and misstatements on 

 matters of natural history. Of course we must not be too 

 hard on old authors in reference to this last matter, as the 

 light they had was but a feeble one, and their powers and 

 means of observation were very limited. 



Of what I may call the angling books of the " Middle 

 Age " many are mere plagiarisms, and but few contribute 

 in any very appreciable degree to the stock of angling 

 knowledge. 



As regards the poetical literature of angling, it would 

 be mere affectation to say much in its praise. A vast 

 quantity of it is mere doggerel, while affectation and 

 " stiltiness " is another predominating feature. Old John 

 Dennys is still far ahead of those who have sought in- 

 spiration from the Muses on this really poetic subject ; 

 and thus a field is still open for poets to win fame in 

 singing the praises of angling. 



I would, however, recommend anglers not only to read, 

 but to buy any of the old and " Middle-age " books I have 

 mentioned, and indeed any old and "Middle-age" books on 

 angling, for, in the first place, there is a very great deal in 



