Fly-Fishing First.—"Fly-fishing comes first, then comes bait casting with the fly rod; third, still fishing; fourth, casting of live bait with the short rod from the reel, and last, if not entirely without the pale of true sportsmanship, the use of the plug."—Rayx.
Fly Rod and Bait Rod.—"It takes some skill to keep sixty feet of line in the air when fly casting, and requires free space for the back cast. It is fascinating work and requires more delicacy in handling a fly rod than a bait rod. The fly rod, especially in Southern Missouri waters, lands more fish during the day than the bait rod, but the latter lands larger fish. The bait caster makes fewer casts on account of reeling in the line after each cast, but the water is more effectively covered. One has to be a judge of the water and determine which method should be used. In thenorthern lakes bait casting is far superior in results to fly casting."—M. J. Brennan.
Land and Water.—"You're natural when fishing, and unnatural on shore. Fishing rubs the barnacles off your natural self, and makes your bodyship sail more easily."—B. M. Briggs.
First Record of Angling.—"The first authentic record of angling appears in the Old Testament of the Bible, computed to be about 1500 years before Christ, where the Lord asked Job: 'Canst thou take out a fish with the hook?'"—John Ryan.
Roman Angling.—The walls of Pompeii are adorned with angling scenes.
TROUT FLIES
Weight of Flies.—"Flies do not soon get tired; ... they are light; the wind carries them. An ounce of flies was once weighed, and afterwards counted; and it was found to comprise no less than six thousand two hundred and sixty-eight."—Victor Hugo,The Toilers of the Sea.
The Dry-Fly.—"Upon the curlingsurfacelet it glide, with natural motion from thy hand supplied."—Unknown Author. The italics in the word surface are ours. The dry artificial fly must swim on the surface, must fly upstream, must have no companion fly, must keep dry by sailing in the air between actual casts, and must attract the fish by minutely mimicking the living fly both in the air and on (not in) the water.
Vegetable Flies.—Bearded seed of the wild oat and a silvery willow leaf have been used successfully as artificial flies for brook trout and black bass.
To Carry Flies.—Do not use your large fly-book when wading. Put a half dozen seasonable patterns in your hatband, and a dozen more in a little book that will not bulge your pocket.
Variety in Flies.—You can never carry too many trout flies on your trip. Fill your fly-book and stick them all over the crown of your hat. Trout do not like the same fly at all times any more than you are fond of feeding on one sort of meat.
Clumsy Flies.—Most trout flies are too large, and they frighten more trout than they attract.
A New Fly.—" ... an altogether original fly, unheard of, startling, will often do great execution in an overfished pool."—Henry van Dyke.
The Floating Fly.—"The floating fly seemed to have the effect of arousing the trout to action at once. During the week I estimate that there was an average of ten rises to the dry-fly to every one to the same fly wet."—Emlyn M. Gill.
Fishing the Dry-Fly.—"The dry-fly is clearly out of place on the wet-fly water as the wet-fly is on the dry-fly stream. After all, it is only in the style of deceiving and hooking fish that dry-fly and wet-fly Anglers ... assuming both to be good sportsmen ... can much differ. In nearly all other fly-fishing matters they must naturally be at one. It has already been said that the dry-fly is quite out of place in many trout streams. The dry-fly streams, though they have increased of late years, are still and ever must be ina decided minority. The dry-fly Angler is not, as a rule, a very early riser. He can do nothing without natural flies, and in my experience there are very few duns or other water-flies out till nine or even ten o'clock in the morning."—A. B. Dewar,The Book of the Dry-Fly.
American Dry-Flies.—"Whirling Dun, Wickham's Fancy, Pale Evening Dun, Jenny Spinner, (Hackle Fly), Willow Fly (Hackle Fly), Orange Fish Hawk (Hackle Fly), Olive Dun, Soldier Palmer (Hackle Fly). Silver Sedge, Red Spinner, White Miller, Coachman. Black Gnat."—Emlyn M. Gill,Practical Dry-Fly Fishing.
Brazilian Flies.—Brazilian flies, costing seven dollars a ton, are used to feed fishes in England.
Fresh Flies.—"When trout are taking the fly on the surface, and are not simply feeding on the larvæ as they swim upward, a brand new fly is more likely to catch a fish than one which has been a great deal used. I always use May-flies dressed on eyed hooks, have a goodly supply, and when one gets so wet as to necessitate a considerable amount of labor in the drying of it, off it comes, and is stuck in my cap to dry at its leisure. Of course it is rather wasting to the cast—this frequent changing flies—and no little trouble to those whose fingers are all thumbs, and whose eyesight is becoming dim, but it is far less trouble to change the fly than to dry it when thoroughly soaked."—London Fishing Gazette.
Rocky Mountain Trout Flies.—First, Royal Coachman; second, Gray Hackle with yellow body. Then:Black Gnat, Ginger Quill, Cowdung, Blue Quill. Grizzly King, Shad Fly, and Stone Fly. Hooks, No. 6 to 14.
Early Season Flies.—Dark Stone, Codun, Alder. Bowman, Black May, Beauty, Ben Bent, Blue Bottle. Hare's Ear.
All-Season Flies.—Alder, Gray Palmer, Green Palmer, Ginger Palmer, March Brown, Reuben Wood. Professor, White Miller, Coachman, Royal Coachman. Dark Coachman, Codun, Scarlet Ibis, Brown Palmer. Red Palmer, Grizzly King, Queen of the Water, King of the Water, Brown Hen, Black Gnat. Early in the season use hooks No. 6 to 8; later, No. 8 to 12. Use the small patterns on streams, and the large patterns on lakes and rough waters; and, as I have repeatedly suggested, when the day is bright and where the water is clear, use the small flies of plain colors; on dark days and in the evening, use the large bright flies.
Dyed-Feather Flies.—"Some Anglers say no dyed feathers should be used in tying flies, that they fade to a damaging extent. We have always found dyed feathers practicable."—London Rod and Gun.
The Brown Hackle.—"Fasten red (crimson red) wool round a hook, and fit into the wool two feathers which grow under a cock's wattles."—Ælian, third century, A.D. "Out of the thousands of trout that I have caught, it is safe to say that over 70 per cent. were taken with the Brown Hackle."—C. T. Ramsey. Two hundred Anglers, representing all parts of the United States, contributed fly-fishing chapters toFavorite Flies. Mary Orvis Marbury's wonderful volume on artificial flies and fly-fishing, and 130 of them declared the Brown Hackle their favorite pattern. "I had supposed that the Red Hackle was an imitation of the small red caterpillar, but the veteran Nessmuk affirms that it resembles nothing below or above. It is his favorite bug, and that settles the question."—H. C. Wilcox,Favorite Flies.
CASTING THE FLY
Up and Down Stream.—English Anglers wade upstream, and some Anglers in America do the same. There is good reason in this manner of wading on the part of the old country's Anglers, because where they practice it the water is quiet and not altogether shallow. In America, where our trout waters are rapid and foaming as they rush along, it is not practical as a general rule to wade upstream. The walking is difficult, you become wet, the trout see you notwithstanding they lie face up stream, your flies drift toward you, it is hard to keep the line from being slack all the time, the flies sink too often, and altogether you spoil the chances of creeling whatever is takable in the stream. On still, barely-flowing, deep waters a line may be cast up or down stream.
Down Stream.—"There is much diversity of opinion about the manner of fishing, whether up or down thestream. The great majority of Anglers, both in Europe and this country, favor the latter method, and very few the former."—John J. Brown.
Motion of the Fly.—In clear, smooth water let the fly sink a little; then move it along with a quick motion.
Manner in Fly-Fishing.—"The manner in which the flies are fished distinguishes the fly-fisherman from the mere fly-caster, whether or no the fly-caster, as such, be expert or otherwise."—Samuel G. Camp,The Fine Art of Fishing.
Fly-Casting Practice.—"When the learner becomes accustomed to handling his rod, he must try to perfect himself in two matters of great importance—accuracy and delicacy. Place a small piece of paper fifteen or twenty feet away, and aim at making the knot in the end of the line fall easily and quietly upon it. Your efforts will be aided if you will raise the point of the rod a trifle just as the forward impulse of the line is spent, and the line itself is straightened in the air for an instant in front. This is a novel kind of target shooting, but its usefulness will be realized when the Angler finds it necessary to drop his flies lightly just over the head of some wary trout."—Ripley Hitchcock.
The Magic Fly.—"Reader, did you ever throw the fly to tempt the silvery denizen of the lake or river to his destruction? Have you watched him, as it skimmed like a living insect along the surface, dart from his hiding-place and rush upon the tempting but deceitful morsel? Have you noticed his astonishmentwhen he found the hook was in his jaw? Have you watched him as he bent your slender rod 'like a reed shaken by the wind,' in his efforts to free himself, and then have you reeled him to your hand and deposited him in your basket as the spoil of your right arm? If you have not, leave the dull, monotonous, everyday things around you and try it."—S. S. Hammond.
Lifelike Fly.—Don't simply drag the fly through the water. Move your wrist gently up and down; then the lure will look and act like a living insect, not a bunch of hair or feather.
Nature-like Fly.—"In fly-fishing the lure must always be in motion." Excepting, say I, the instant when it first drops upon the pool. I have caught many of my largest trout—sometimes two at a single cast—the moment the fly touched the water.
Dry-Fly Success.—"There are no insurmountable obstacles in the way of becoming a successful dry-fly Angler that do not confront the user of the sunken fly."—Emlyn M. Gill,Practical Dry-Fly Fishing.
Correct Fly-Fishing Line.—"Nothing in reference to fly-fishing can be answered with such ease and confidence as the question what line should be used. Unquestionably the enameled waterproofed line, and no other."—Henry P. Wells.
Sunken Fly.—"Every bass fly-fisherman knows that to let his flies sink for a depth of six or eight inches is alluring. Under certain conditions, when aftertrout, to let the flies descend for a depth of two feet before retrieving, is to tempt some sleepy old monster to attack. "—O. W. Smith.
The Strike.—"The moment the trout seizes the artificial fly, it is as far in his mouth as it ever will be; therefore, you cannot strike too quickly after you have seen or felt the trout."—D. W. Cross.
TACKLE TALKS
To Extract Hooks.—Cut the snell free and push the hook on through, depressing the upper end so as to bring the point out as near as possible to where it went in. Don't try to pull the hook back.
Knots in Rodwood.—Don't switch a light rod sideways. The maker may have purposely put a knot to one side, and this would cause the rod to snap.
Function of the Rod.—"The essential and most important office of a rod is that which is exhibited after the fish is hooked ... in other words, in the playing and landing of the fish. In practical angling the act of casting, either with fly or bait, is preliminary and subordinate to the real uses of the rod. The poorest fly-rod made will cast a fly thirty or forty feet, which is about as far as called for in ordinary angling. But it is the continuous spring and yieldingresistance of the bent rod, constantly maintained, that not only tires out the fish, but protects the weak snell or leader from breakage, and prevents a weak hold of the hook from giving way; and this is the proper function of the rod."—James A. Henshall,Favorite Fish and Fishing.
Silkworm Gut.—"The features to be sought are good color, a hard, wiry texture, roundness, even diameter from end to end, and length. From these are to be inferred the strength and wearing quality of the gut, which are what we wish to estimate. From the color we infer whether the gut is fresh or stale, its probable strength in relation to its thickness, and, in part, its wearing quality. In all these respects fresh gut is superior to old gut of original equal quality. The color can best be judged from the fuzzy end of the hank, and should be clear and glassy, and by no means dull or yellowish. The wearing quality of the gut may be judged partly by its color, partly by its springiness when bent and released, and also by its hardness. It should feel like wire."—Henry P. Wells,Fly-Rods and Fly-Tackle.
Ronalds' Rod.—"The best materials are ash for the stock, lancewood for the middle, and bamboo for the tip."—Alfred Ronalds (1836).
South's Rod.—Theophilus South, in hisFly Fisher's Text Book(London, 1845), prefers ash to willow for butts, hickory for middle joints, and favors tips made from lancewood, cane, and whalebone, spliced together—four and even five pieces in a tip.
Lightest Rod.—Benjamin S. Whitehead fly-fishes with a gold-and-ivory-mounted split bamboo rod weighing one and eleven sixteenths ounces.
Tapered Line.—"The line for dry-fly fishing should be either single-tapered or double-tapered; the fine end of the taper will make more of an inconspicuous connection with the leader and with a tapered line casting ability is doubled."—Robert Page Lincoln.
Knife and Shears.—A small pair of scissors attached to a string and fastened to the Angler's coat are useful companions along the stream. They are more easily operated than a knife; they save time, and while you may do with them nearly all that can be done with a knife, they will render a service that cannot be obtained from the single blade. A knife should always be carried, nevertheless, and the proper one for the trout Angler is that newly invented thing which requires no finger-nail work and which is made ready for service by a mere pressure of the thumb on the top of the handle.
Trouting Outfit.—Here's a plain, practical, reasonable-price outfit with no unnecessary items: A four-ounce lancewood fly-rod, a common rubber click reel to hold twenty-five yards of fine waterproof silk line, a seventy-five cent cane landing-net, small and with no metal on it, a seventy-five cent creel, a dozen of the best made and highest-priced assorted trout-flies, a pair of waders, and a dollar's worth of the finest and best made silk gut leaders.
Rod Dressing.—To whip rings or guides on the rod use silk twist, drawing the final end through a fewcoils of the whipping by means of a loose loop. To revarnish, wipe off all grease stains, and dress lightly down with the best copal. To reblacken brasses, mix a little lampblack with spirit varnish. Dress once or twice and let the dressing thoroughly dry before using the copal.
Buy your Tackle.—The old Anglers tied their flies themselves, and, in fact, made all their rods and tackle, save, perhaps, lines. To-day few Anglers think of tying flies or preparing any tackle, owing to the expertness and moderate terms on the part of dealers. It is much cheaper to buy tackle outright, as it is to buy gun shells ready loaded.
To Remove a Ferrule.—Hold it over the flame of a spirit lamp or any flame until the cement is softened. If it has been pinned on, take a large needle, break it off squarely, put it on the pin, and strike just hard enough to set the pin below the ferrule, then warm and remove.
The Joints.—If your rod joints go together harshly or do not come apart with ease, oil them lightly. See that no sand or any dirt gets in the ferrules. To take the joints apart easily when they are tightly set, gently warm the metal.
Rubber Bands.—Little rubber bands are practical items of a sportsman's outfit. One real service they render is in holding the fly-rod joints together when you travel through the woods after your day's fishing.
The Rod as a Measure.—"The size of a fish can be found out very easily, simply by having the butt ofthe fishing rod marked off in inches up to two feet."—John Koltzan.
Position of the Reel.—The reel of a bait-rod should be on the top side of the rod, in front of the handle; that of a fly-rod, on the under side below the handle.
Cork Handle.—To avoid blisters on the hand, have the handle of your rod covered with cork instead of cane, twine, or rubber. It will prevent the hand from slipping, is pleasant to the touch, and very light in weight.
Smooth Ferrules.—Before jointing your rod, oil the male ferrules with vaseline, or by rubbing them on the back of your neck. This will prevent the joints from becoming tight after the day's sport.
Be Particular.—The finer the tackle the fairer the sport.
Care of the Rod.—See that your rod-case is thoroughly dry before you put your rod in it, and always tie the case-strings loosely or you will have bent tips and joints.
Tackle Tells.—"The quality of gameness in a fish is best determined by the character of the tackle used. A brook trout on a striped bass rod, or a black bass on a tarpon rod, could not, in either case, exhibit its characteristic gameness, or afford any sport to the Angler. Excellent sport with small fishes, however, is now rendered possible owing to the advent of the very light trout rod. It should not be considered beneath the dignity of an Angler to cast the fly for a rock bass, a blue-gill, or a croppie, with a three-ounce rod. Certainlyit is just as sportsmanlike as to fish for six-inch brook trout in a meadow brook or a mountain rill."—James A. Henshall.
Rust Preventive.—Use animal oil free of salt on any metal—steel, iron, brass, German silver, etc. Vaseline may be used on brass and German silver; mercurial ointment on steel and iron. Don't use ordinary vegetable oil.
Telescopic Reel.—An English reel, the telescope winch, can be expanded to carry a double quantity of line or less at will. By its means a trout reel becomes a salmon reel or bass reel or vice versa as you please.
Fine Tackle.—"His tackle for bricht, airless days is o' gossamere; and at a wee distance aff you think he's fishin' without ony line ava."—The Ettrick Shepherd.
Dressing for Silk Wrappings.—Cobbler's wax dissolved in spirits of wine. Paint it on with a feather.
Line Dressing.—Deer's fat solidifies at a higher temperature than most fats and will cling well.
Black Leader and Snell.—"For trout, use a black leader and have your hooks snelled with black gut."—"Country Pumpkin."
Thin Line.—"The thinner the line I use the more fish I catch."—A. Hamilton, Jr.
Cocoon Lines.—The Japanese now make almost invisible fishing lines from cocoons. The silk threads are boiled in oil and glue and calendered under heavypressure. The fish cannot see these lines, and they are effective against the gamest species.
Enameled Line.—"In casting from the reel I use a soft silk line, but I prefer to strip cast. In strip casting it is absolutely necessary to use a good enameled line. The reason I prefer strip casting is that a long, slender rod can be used. No other line than an enameled one can be stripped into the bottom of the boat and permitted to run out rapidly without snarling."—"Greenhorn."
Making a Camp Rod.—Surgeon's plaster, in tin spools, or electrician's adhesive tape, are serviceable in many ways in camp. You can even build a makeshift casting rod if you've forgotten or lost the real article. Fasten the reel to a stiff section of any fishing rod or a straight light-weight tree switch with the tape. Screw eyes or small staples will answer for the running guides, but finer guides and a cleaner-looking tip guide may be made with fine wire and the tape.
Tackle and Time.—Correct fishing tackle is as necessary in the hands of the tyro as with the practical Angler, but the beginner mustn't expect tackle, however appropriate, to be all that is required to make toward perfection in angling; experience and practice are equally important. As an apprentice in carpentry who may have all the tools of his master still needs experience and actual practice, so the young Angler fully equipped with good tackle must serve an apprenticeship on the waters.
THE ANGLER'S KITCHEN
"The reputation that trout enjoy as a food-fish is partly due to the fact that they are usually cooked over an open fire.... The real reason why food cooked over an open fire tastes so good to us is because we are really hungry when we get it."—Henry van Dyke.
"Moses, the friend of God—Lev. xi., 9, Deut. xiv., 9,—appointed fish to be the chief diet for the best commonwealth that ever yet was. The mightiest feasts have been of fish."—Walton.
"If you eat your kind, we will eat you."—Benj. Franklin.
Catching vs. Cooking.—"I care little whether I catch a fish on a No. 6 or a No. 5 hook, or whether I use a $3 reel or a $2.99 one. Whether I use bay leaves, or cloves, or mushrooms, or tomato sauce, or tartar sauce in preparing my fish is more important. Game is improved by hanging for a while, but fish should be eaten as soon as possible after being caught."—"Piscator."
Fish as Food.—The great variety of flavors in fish food makes an ichthyological diet more palatable thanquadruped meat, and therefore more healthful because only that which is eaten with a relish is digestible and nourishing.
Forest Fish Sauce.—Use a wild rose berry to make a sauce for fish food in camp.
Carp.—The carp, celebrated in ancient song and story as the meat of kings, is as savory as the trout or any other fish species if cooked and served correctly.
Preserving Fish.—Don't pack fish in wet grass or anything damp. Use dry straw.
Frozen Fish.—Don't freeze fish unless you keep it frozen until quite ready for the fire, as it spoils soon after thawing.
Scaling Fish.—Use an ordinary horse currycomb.
CARE AND BREEDING OF TROUT
"The water, more productive than the earth, Nature's store-house, in which she locks up her wonders, is the eldest daughter of the creation, the element upon which the spirit of God did first move."—Izaak Walton.
Transporting Trout.—To bring your fish home, first clean them carefully, taking pains to remove that little dark blood streak along the backbone. Then, after wiping them dry, pack them in ferns, separately, and free from ice. Never send your fish home by express; take them with you. A box cannot be checked on the train. Use an old packing trunk. In this you can also transport your heavy outfit—wading boots, oilskins, landing-net, etc.
Trout in Captivity.—Trout in artificial ponds should be fed three or four times a week in the winter time during the very warmest part of the day. There is no natural food in artificial ponds, and feeding is necessary in order to keep the big fish from eating their small companions. In natural trout ponds fed by springs so much care need not be exercised in winter. Air holes need not be cut in any ice that may form, as the springs afford a proper temperature, and but little food, if any, need be given the fish.
Killing the Trout.—Kill your trout the instant they are landed; don't let them suffer slow death. The game deserves humane treatment, and the meat tastes better by quick killing.
Trout Destroyers.—Eels are ruinous to trout. They eat trout spawn, and they should be removed from all trout waters.
Live Frozen Trout.—Trout packed in ice for several days and carried forty miles by stagecoach and two hundred and fifty miles by railway (Feb., 1914) from the State of Washington to Montana, says theLewiston Democratof Butte, Montana, came to life and swam spryly when placed in a tank of water at the end of their journey—Hennessy's meat store at Butte.
Water Plants.—Aquatic plants, besides affording protection and shade to the fishes, supply oxygen to the water.
Growth of Trout.—"Mr. Tomkin of Polgaron put some small river trout, 2-1/2 inches in length, into a newly made pond. He took some of them out the second year, above twelve inches in length; the third year, he took one out of sixteen inches in length; and the fourth year, one of twenty-five inches in length: this was in 1734."—Carew'sSurvey of Cornwall.
Ducks Eat Trout.—Arthur A. Woodford and S. W. Eddy, of Avon, Conn., say that ducks eat trout and destroy the trout's breeding places by digging in the banks along the ponds and streams.
THE ANGLER'S CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR
Hobnail Footwear.—Most any boot or shoe can be used for wading the trout streams, but a special selection is always best for every sort of purpose. Rubber, canvas, and leather are employed in the making of the fisherman's footwear. The hobnail heel-and-sole pattern is the correct article for use in swift-running water. The hobnail recommended above all others is the common, cheap soft-iron hobnail with corrugated head; carry a package in your tackle box.
Repairing Waders.—Patch holes in rubber boots and rubber stockings, etc., by covering the holes with thin sheet rubber, cementing this with a mixture of black rubber dissolved in spirits of turpentine.
Drying Rubber Boots.—Fill 'em full of hot bran.
Clothing.—Sack coats, heavy trousers, a stout vest, all with plenty of large pockets. In color the garments should be gray, drab, or brown.
Hat.—A soft felt of gray shade.
Boots and Shoes.—Brown leather.
Waders.—Leather shoes with holes in the sides or canvas shoes for summer. Rubber boots or wading trousers for cold weather.
Woolen and Rubber Clothing.—Good quality woolen will shed rain for hours. Wear rubber outer garments in a wet brushy trail.
LITTLE CASTS
The Fingerling Fisher.—It is sad to see a man with his creel full of trout each not over the size of a lady's penknife. This character has a photograph made of himself with the fingerlings held in front of him so as to make them appear of legal size; this he sends to friends in the city with glowing accounts of his catch of "a hundred speckled beauties in one day."
Tent Waterproofing.—Sugar of lead and alum.
Woodcraft.—A good, simple way to find a road or dwelling, if you are lost in the woods, is to follow down a stream.
Destroying the Streams.—Discourage the indiscriminate cutting down of trees. The destruction of forest land means the drying up of trout waters and the waste of drinking water.
The Bungler.—Bragging of ungentle catches, untruths about the size of a specimen, and non-ichthyological nonsense about the mystery of a species—unnatural history such as cheap fiction writers indulge in—by bungling would-be fishermen annoy the practical man and puzzle the earnest tyro. The record of honest sport is entertaining and instructive.
Discrimination.—Do not worry if the fish are small so long as they are of legal size; reduce your tackle. A vest-pocket watch keeps just as good time as a town-hall clock.
Sportsmanship.—Chivalry to his companion and humane treatment to the game he pursues are the Angler's axioms.
Giving Fishes to Neighbors.—Don't give your neighbors part of your catch. They won't appreciate it. They'll throw them away in most cases. If they cook and eat them they suffer the belief that they are doing you a favor. Most recipients of fishes think the specimens too small, or that they have too many bones, or that they are too thin, too tough, too hard to scale, etc. They'd rather have a bought-and-paid-for cold-storage cod of ten pounds than a freshly caught brook trout presented by an Angler friend.
Not All of Fishing to Fish.—"The fisherman whose catching of many fish causes him to forget his surroundings, blinds his eyes to the beauties of Nature, and deadens his ears to the music of the wild, is no Angler."—O. W. Smith.
BORROWED LINES
"I borrow no man's tackle."—"Frank Forester."
Nature.—"Solitude has its charm and its reward and Nature offers to mankind the proper blessings, be they indulged in with care and consideration. The mind that has been oppressed by following civilization's rut will find ample comfort in the solitude given man by Nature."—R. P. L.,The Sportsmen's Review.
Save the Fishes.—"We who love wild life and long ago abandoned the many instruments of extermination and who have come to a more considerate mode of recreation should do all in our power to discourage its destruction and to encourage the propagation of the wild life which has been so generously and graciously given us by our Creator. Only extremists insist on terrible slaughter of fishes, birds, and quadrupeds."—E. M. Hermann.
"Improvement."—"No building enterprise, no 'betterment' ever spares a tree. Insects and lack ofcare kill what 'improvement' leaves."—New YorkEvening World, Aug. 18, 1914.
Jesus the Fisherman.—"Had not the Saviour of Gennesaret understood fishermen's signs, such as the riff on the water, the schooling of the fishes, the hovering gulls, there would have been no miraculous catch of fishes."—Charles Hallock.
Society where None Intrudes.—"I had pined so much, in the dust and heat of the great town, for trees and fields, and running waters, and the sounds of country life, and the air of country winds, that never more could I grow weary of these soft enjoyments."—Blackmore,Lorna Doone.
The Call of the Wild.—"Lying hidden away in the back of the brain is the primitive longing for adventure and the tingle of the nerves that awaits it. Under the veneer of what is called civilization lie the racial and elemental passions, just as Mother Earth lies beneath the asphalted streets of the city."—Adele M. Ballard.
Gold Fishing.—"When all green places have been destroyed in the builder's lust of gain; when all the lands are but bricks and piles of wood and iron; when there is no moisture anywhere and no rain ever falls; when the sky is a vault of smoke and all the rivers reek with poison; when forest and stream, the moor and meadow and all the old green wayside beauty are things vanished and forgotten; when every gentle, timid thing of brake and bush, of air and water, has been killed because it robbed them of a berry or afruit; when the earth is one vast city, whose young children behold neither the green of the field nor the blue of the sky, and hear no song but the hiss of the steam, and know no music but the roar of the furnace; when the old sweet silence of the countryside, and the old sweet sounds of waking birds, and the old sweet fall of summer showers, and the grace of a hedgerow bough, and the glow of the purple heather, and the note of the cuckoo and cushat, and the freedom of waste and of woodland and all things are dead and remembered of no man; then the world, like the Eastern king, will perish miserably of famine and of drought, with gold in its stiffened hands, and gold in its withered lips and gold everywhere; gold that the people can neither eat nor drink, gold that cares nothing for them, but mocks them horribly; gold for which their fathers sold peace, and health, and holiness, and beauty; gold that is one vast grave."—Ouida.
Heaven.—"My heart is fixed firm and stable in the belief that ultimately the sunshine and the summer, the flowers and the azure sky, shall become, as it were, interwoven into man's existence. He shall take from all their beauty and enjoy their glory."—Richard Jefferies,The Life of the Fields.
Modern Savagery.—"Civilization is a nervous disease."—Clarence King.
Humanity.—"Reading and writing are not educational, unless they make us feel kindly towards all creatures."—Ruskin.
Walton's Depth.—"In Walton's angling works a child may wade and a giant swim."—John Ryan.
"I shall stay ... [the reader] no longer than to wish him a rainy evening to read this ... Discourse; and that, if he be an honest Angler, the East wind may never blow when he goes a-Fishing."—Izaak Walton,The Compleat Angler, 1653.
"Princeton, May30, 1900—"TheDetermined Angler ... themost pleasantly written, themost sensible and practical andinstructive volume I have everseen of its kind."Cleveland signatureThe Art Of Angling.— ... abook on the art of angling,with a hearty indorsement fromthe most famous of latter-dayfishermen, former PresidentGrover Cleveland. It fullydeserves this indorsement.—NewYork Herald, September 22,1900.The Trout And The Whale.— ... rare sympathy andgenuine knowledge. Mr. Bradfordundoubtedly knows, asdid his sainted forerunner, that"there are fish, as namely thewhale, three times as big as themighty elephant, that is so fiercein battle," yet a single salve-linerfontinalis of "just a littleover two pounds and a quarter"is the single luxury he allowshimself. Mr. Bradford's dealingsare with those sophisticateddenizens of much-fished streams,that have to be approached withthe finesse of a diplomat andhandled with the swift skill of afencing master. In all thatpertains to this difficult andstudious art one feels that Mr.Bradford is an adept, and that thegraceful, commendatory letterfrom former President Clevelandis amply merited.—New YorkEvening Telegram, September8, 1900.Practical.—Practical advice.—New York Sun.Angling Converts.—Thereis always a real charm aboutwhat is written on the subject offishing, by real disciples of oldIzaak Walton, and the reasonmay be found in the fact thatthe spirit of the greatest ofanglers has come upon them.The Determined Angleris noexception to the rule. It isgood reading, full of wisdom andinstruction. And while it willprove very useful to the beginnerand even the veteran, it is alsocalculated to make many converts
to the rod and line. Thebook is full of wise counsel andinformation.—New York EveningSun, September 8, 1900.For Fair Fishermen.—Appealsto those who fish fair.... CharlesBradford, themodern American authority onangling.—New York Press.For Gentle Readers.—Muchgood advice and verypleasant entertainment for anygentle reader.—New York Observer.Summer And Winter.—Pleasantreading whether by thewinter fireside or the shadedbanks of summer.—New YorkEvening Post.Angling Experience.—Mr.Bradford is no novice in this lineof literature.—New York AthleticClub Journal.Angling Philosophy.—Breathesthe very essence ofphilosophy; the result of muchexperience.—Brooklyn (N. Y.)Eagle.Waltonian Spirit.—Pervadedby the spirit of IzaakWalton.—The Outlook.The Gentle Trout.—Theauthor is an enthusiastic devoteeof the sport [angling], uponwhich he writes with a contagiousenthusiasm ... an anglerof very positive convictions; hehas a fixed aversion to fishingwith the scarlet ibis, and confessesto a personal preferenceto sober colors in flies for allseasons and on all waters. Aboveall, he insists upon the use ofthe most scientific methods,since "a trout is a gentleman,and should be treated as suchand lured with only delicate andhumane weapons." A facsimileof a letter of warm commendationfrom ex-PresidentCleveland serves as frontispieceto this agreeable volume whichis attractively printed.—NewYork Commercial Advertiser.September 13, 1900.The Gentle Art.—A gentleexponent of a gentle art.—Denver(Colo.) Republican.
Wild Brook Trout.—Theannouncement of a new bookon fishing interests a class of thecommunity, especially thoseconfined to the cities, which isincreasing year by year. Thiswork depicts a trout fisherman'sparadise. It is from the samegraphic pen asThe Wildfowlers,and divulges many a secret ofthe fisherman's craft. One maylearn from its pages where agentle creel of real wild brooktrout may be made in a morning'spleasant angling, "in afree and comparatively virgingameland—a wild and naturallybeautiful country, embracingall the charms of scenic splendorfor which the American brooktrout regions are famous," andits pages contain an abundanceof practical detail concerningtackle and methods of castingthe fly, and playing and landingthe game ... it makes a notableaddition to the sportsman'slibrary.—New York Home Journal,May 10, 1900.The Angler's Art.—Mr.Bradford gives eminently practicalhints on the angler's art.—Salt LakeCity (Utah) Telegram.A Study Of Fishing.—Theadvice comes from one who haslearned many things aboutfishing.—Utica (N. Y.) Press.Comprehensive Angling.—Oneof the most comprehensivebits of angling literature wehave had for many a long year,and thoroughly deserves thegenerous praise it has received ...the most delightful fishingbook of this generation—TheAmateur Sportsman.The Angler's Library.—deservesa place in the libraryof every fly-fisherman.—TheSportsman's Magazine.A Fisher Of Men.—Mr.Bradford may well be proudof this tribute, for Mr. Clevelandis himself a determined anglerand an experienced fisher ofmen.—Spirit of the Times.Secrets Of The Fish.—Whathe has to tell of the secretsknown only to the fish, himself,and a few others is marvelous.—Montreal (Canada) Gazette.
Philosophy And Fishing.—Withthis kind of man philosophyand fishing mix well.—Rochester(N. Y.) Herald.Quality, Not Quantity.—Mr.Bradford writes for thosewho see more in the trip thanthe frying-pan.—Savannah (Ga.)News.Walton's Follower.—Atrue disciple of Izaak Walton.—London (Eng.) Post.Angling Enthusiasm.—Anaccomplished and enthusiasticangler.—Cincinnati (Ohio) Star.Cleveland's Words.—CharlesBradford writes practical andsensible books.—Philadelphia(Pa.) Public Ledger.Angling Anticipations.—Mr.Bradford believes fishing isa means and not an end.—AlbanyArgus.Joyous Material.—He hasgathered material to make theheart of the fisherman leap forjoy.—Boston Transcript.Would Please Walton.—IzaakWalton, ChristopherNorth, and the other mightyfishermen known to fame, wouldwag their wise heads approvinglyover Mr. Bradford's book.The Pilgrims who told KingJames that they desired to goGod and catch fishes wouldaccord Mr. Bradford's volumea place beside the Bay PsalmBook.—Pittsburg (Pa.) Gazette.Entertaining.—Mr. Bradfordhas written before on angling,and very entertainingly.—SaturdayEvening Post (Phila.).Contemplative Man.—CharlesBradford is one towhom, as Washington Irvingsaid, "There is something inangling that tends to producea gentleness of spirit and apure serenity of mind."—Dundee(Scot.) Adv.Universal Reading.—Thedescriptive matter is bothinteresting and instructive.Fishermen in all parts of thecountry will find the book wellworth reading.—Bay City (Mich.)Tribune, July 19, 1900.