About This Book
There have been several distinct collections of Angling Songs published within the last few years ; but all that have fallen in my way, have been local in language, turn of thought, and descriptive allusions. There are North of England Songs,. Scottish Songs, and Songs in the dialects of the West of England. There is not, as far as 1 am aware, any general collection of Fishing Songs, embodying the poetical warblings of piscatorians of all parts of the kingdom. It is chiefly to supply this deficiency that the present small volume is published. A great number of the pieces have never been printed before, having been collected from private sources; and several have only appeared in local newspapers, magazines, &c They have been throwu together somewhat at random ; and ail that can be said for their merits is, that they are the production of practical Anglers, and are addressed to the feelings and sentiments of those who have a sympathy with them in the prosecution of their common craft. A man who makes verses with a rod in his hand, on his wanderings and musings on the river side, does not pretend to appeal to the deep sympathies of the world at large. His themes are trite—his range very limited ; and the extent of his ambition is, that his effusions may be relished by those who are fond of a common source of amusement and recreation. He challenges no learned criticism, nor does he expect his brow to be encircled with wreaths of laurel. For enthusiastic Anglers—and they are now a numerous and daily-increasing body in every civilized country—this volume is, therefore, more especially designed. And I can only say, that if the reader derives half the pleasure from its perusal, that I have experienced in collecting its contents, he will find it the cheapest work he ever purchased.