broken only a few minutes before; and the hooks seemed to have had no
other effect than that of serving as a sort of _sauce piquante_, urging
them to seize another morsel of the same kind.--The advocates for a
favourite pursuit never want sophisms to defend it. I have even heard it
asserted, that a hare enjoys being hunted. Yet I will allow that
fly-fishing, after your vindication, appears amongst the least cruel of
field sports.

We must, however, confine ourselves to a few colloquial extracts from
the _practical_ portion of the volume; as

_Flies on the Wandle, &c._

_Orn._--Surely the May-fly season is not the only season for day-fishing
in this river? [the Wandle.]--_Hal._ Certainly not. There are as many
fish to be taken, perhaps, in the spring fishing; but in this deep river
they are seldom in good season till the May-fly has been on, and a
fortnight hence they will be still better than even now. In September
there may be good fish taken here; but the autumnal flies are less
plentiful in this river than the spring flies--_Phys_, Pray tell me what
are the species of fly which take in these two seasons.--_Hal_. You know
that trout spawn or deposit their ova, &c. in the end of the autumn or
beginning of winter, from the middle of November till the beginning of
January, their maturity depending upon the temperature of the season,
their quantity of food, &c. They are at least six weeks or two months
after they have spawned before they recover their flesh; and the time
when these fish are at the worst, is likewise the worst time for
fly-fishing, both on account of the cold weather, and because there are
fewer flies on the water than at any other season. Even in December and
January there are a few small gnats or water-flies on the water in the