nows-Minnow Tackle-Method of Baiting-Min- now-fishing in Flooded Waters-Season of Year— Places where to fish, etc.-Minnow-fishing in Clear Water-Places where to fish-Season of Year- Best kind of Weather, and time of Day-Par-tail Comparison between Loch and River Angling-Loch Flies, and how to dress them-Adaptation of Flies in point of Size and Colour-Instructions how to fish-Haunts of the Trout - Most favourable Weather, etc. Trolling-Rod, Tackle, and Bait NGLING, or the art of capturing fish with rod and hook, appears perfectly simple to those unacquainted with the subject; and unlimited patience is not unfrequently looked upon as the only qualification necessary for success. That this is an error is shown by experience; there being numbers of the very best anglers who are by no means B celebrated as possessing this virtue, while numbers of the most patient followers of Isaak Walton are very far from having rivalled his success. Few amusements require more skill, or afford more room for the exercise of ingenuity; and practice will render a greater proportion of individuals successful shots than successful anglers. There can be no better proof of the difficulty of excelling in this art than the fact that, out of the thousands who practise it, very few become proficients; and since the pleasure of a pastime depends to a great extent upon the field it affords for the exercise of skill, angling is well worthy of the attention of sportsmen. Numbers of those who try it-believing it to be very simple and meet with little success, give it up in despair, consoling themselves with the idea, that want of patience was the only reason why they did not succeed, and revenging themselves by abusing it ever afterwards as the "slowest" and most monotonous of all amusements. Whenever any one is particularly bitter in his denunciation of angling, it may pretty safely be concluded that he has tried it unsuccessfully. It may have been chagrin arising from this cause that made Dr. Johnson propound the definition of angling, so often quoted by those of this class, that "angling means a rod with a fly at one end, and a fool at the other." There is one qualification which he who wishes to become an angler must not only possess, but must exert to the utmost, and that is observation. He may have all the other qualifications necessary— ATTRACTIONS OF ANGLING. 3 neatness of hand, quickness of eye, energy, and perseverance—but to become acquainted with the habits of the fish, the places to which they resort in search of particular kinds of food, and the influence of the weather upon them, requires keen observation, and great experience. With observation, most people may become anglers; without it no one will ever achieve great success. A knowledge of the habits of the fish is the most important element of success, as the study of their habits is by far the most interesting part of angling. This much may be said in favour of angling, that it is more generally within reach than most field sports; and as the value of an amusement increases in proportion to the facility of enjoying it, in this respect all field sports must yield the precedence to angling. It is an amusement free alike to all, and practised by all, from the peer to the peasant. No sooner does spring arrive, clothing the banks with verdure, and the trees with foliage, and restoring once more to nature its joyous look, than there is a rush of all classes to the river side, to wander, rod in hand, along the grassy margin of the stream, and spend their leisure hours in gaining a fresh store of health, while endeavouring to lure the sportive trout from his native haunts. To the lover of nature no sport affords so much pleasure. The grandest and most picturesque scenes in nature are to be found on the banks of rivers and lakes. The angler, therefore, in pursuit of his vocation, enjoys the finest scenery the country offers, and |