TO THE EEADER. 



In offering this book for the perusal of those who may feel suffi- 

 ciently interested in the subject to read works on Angling, I deem it 

 an act of courtesy to say a few words in explanation of the motives 

 which* prompted me to commence, and then drew me on in the prose- 

 cution of a work involving, as it has proved, no small amount of time 

 and labor. 



Every true lover of angling knows that the pleasure it brings with 

 it, does not end with the day's sport ; that besides being " a calmer 

 of unquiet thoughts," for the time, it impresses happy memories on 

 the mind ; and he looks back to many a day, and many a scene, as 

 an oasis by the wayside in the rough journey of life; and like Dog- 

 berry's friend Verges, " he will be talking" when he finds an interest- 

 ed hearer, and may he tempted, as the author of these pages has 

 been, to write of it. 



Notwithstanding the many books on angling by British authors, 

 but few American works o^ the subject have yet been offered tn the 



(7) 



