PREFACE

TO THE FIRST EDITION.

THE Author of this little work entreats that

it

may be considered and judged of as the labour, or rather the amusement of an amateur; whose chief object has been to facilitate to the Tyro in the art, the making and choice of artificial flies, on a plan of elucidation derived from personal experience.

Having himself sorely felt the inadequacy of mere verbal instructions to enable him to imitate the natural fly correctly, or even approximatively, and the little utility of graphical illustrations unaccompanied by the principal requisite, viz. colour, he has been induced to paint both the natural and artificial fly from nature, to etch them with his own hand, and to colour, or superintend the colouring of each particular impression.

He therefore presumes to hope that he

has succeeded in giving a useful collection of the leading flies for every month in the season, and that any one, who may be led by it to a choice of flies from the stock of the manufacturer, or to the construction of his own, will not have cause to repent of having consulted the catalogue, chiefly composing the fourth Chapter.

But since in his endeavours to improve the art of fly-making, careful observations were made relative to some of the habits of the Trout and Grayling, and of inmany sects upon which these fish prey; it is hoped that a few of these observations, intermixed with a little useful information, and some remarks on other points more or less connected with the principal subject, will not be thought inappropriate. These form the subjects of the three preceding Chapters.

Chiswick, June, 1836.

PREFACE

TO THE SECOND EDITION.

THE favourable judgement passed upon these humble labours, by the respectable Magazines and Journals, which have condescended to review them, the promptitude with which indulgent brother anglers have responded to that decision, and the very encouraging terms in which it was pronounced, have constituted the natural and pleasing motives for printing this second edition.

A correction (concerning the weight of Trouts, usually rising to a fly,) with which the learned and tasteful Christopher North seasons his most grateful dish of praise, is adopted on the occasion, with profound reverence, by one, who, although not ranking amongst the elite of Scottish Anglers, ever

rejoices in doing fealty and honour to the great and glorious modern Sire of every true born British Angler.*

To a friend in need and in deed, C. S. Hall, Esq., his sincere acknowledgment of deep obligation for timely and efficient support, must also be specially expressed; and from an experienced sportsman, his judicious reviewer, in the New Sporting Magazine, he cannot (however irregular the proceeding may be) withhold his hearty thanks.

He also avails himself of the opportunity to publicly apologize for not having adequately met some of the earlier demands for

* Vide Blackwood's Edin. Mag. June, 1838; New Monthly Mag. Aug. 1836; New Sporting Mag. Sept. and Oct. 1836; Examiner, Sept. 26th, 1836; Atlas, Aug. 13th, 1836; Literary Gazette, July 15th 1836; Staffordshire Advertiser, Aug. 13th and 20th, 1836, and June 9th, 1838.

The view to interests near at home, which is (avowedly) mixed up with a higher motive in citing these valuable authorities, will perhaps be deemed excusable, seeing that a fry of "odd little fish" (which the consummate eloquence of the great Christopher himself could never induce to devour a single Green Dragon, either alive, sauced, or painted), must nevertheless be supplied with something to rise at every day, and trained, at least, to distinguish the Little-dark-spinner from the Great-dark-drone.

copies. The insufficiency partly arose from a strong determination to spare no pains upon the colouring of the flies and palmers; but he begs leave to assure his future patrons, that, although practice has now enabled him to maintain an ample stock of paintings, it has not impaired that resolve in the smallest degree. Indeed a new incentive to exertion arises from the recent appearance of other works on angling, which, valuable as they may be in many respects, are not, in his partial opinion, at all calculated to satisfy the chief wants and wishes of the accomplished flyfisher; coloured flies and palmers being wholly omitted in them.

This edition results from a careful revision of the former, and comprehends several improvements, amongst which may be reckoned greater exactness in the delineation of certain hooks, and the addition of a frontispiece.

The two little foot notes at pp. 14 and 16, are mere indices to some good remarks and experiments relative to the iris colours of, and to the sense of taste in, fish, &c.