About the Book
CON TENTS PAGE MEIOIR 01 THE AUTHOR, xi WITH THEIR ITITATIONS- The Spring Black, . 9 The March Brown, . . KO The Lesser March Brown, . , 11 The Granam, or Greentail, . . II The Spring Dun, . . 12 The Ruddy Fly, . 14 The Cowdung Ply, . 14 The Dark-blue Dun, or lerliil, . - 14 The Black Caterpillars, . . 16 vii CONTENTS The Black-headed Red, . PAGE I7 The Little Chap, . 17 The Black Gnat, . 18 The Orange Dun, ...18 The Grouse, . 19 The Iron Blue, . 19 The Green Woodcock, . 19 The SiIk FIy, . . 21 The Sand Gnat, or Gravel Fly, . . 22 The Big Dun, . 23 The Bracken Clock, . 23 The Flat Yellow, - 24 The Stone Fly, . 24 The Downlooker, or Oak Fly, . 24 The Green Drake, or Cadow, . 25 The Black Drake, or Grey Drake, . . 26 The Orange Fly, . . 26 The Black Ant, . 27 The Red Ant, . 27 The Pale-blue, or Willow Fly, . . 28 The Shamrock Fly, . . 28 CONTENTS PAGE ON THE WOODS PROPER FOR FLY-RODS, . 33 How TO MAKE RODS AT HOME, . 34 APPENDIX BY A. AND A. R. SEVERN ADDITIONAL NOTES ON ARTIFICIAL FLIES- The Blue Dun, . The Alder, . The Pheasant and Green, - The Hares Ear, . h . The Soldier Palmer, . Hoflands Fancy, . The Red Palmer, . Mr. Pritts Flies, FLY -RODS AND LANDING-NETS, .
MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR THIS little book has long been a favourite with those who happen to own copies, some- what rare, of the original edition. They say there is nothing like it and, now that the prospects of anglers in the Lake District are improving, Practical Fsling ought to be within the reach of every amateur. At their instance accordingly it is reprinted and at the desire of the surviving member of the Authors family, his name, still honourably recollected by many, is exchanged on the title-page for the modest nom-dtZzcnre of Arundo, n reed of the river. John Beever was born nearly a hundred years ago the elder son of Mr. William Beever, a Manchester merchant. In the earlier years of this century the family lived in an old mansion, since inhabited by Mr. J. R. Wilkinson, the well-known banker and art-patron, at the Poly- gon, Ardmick, then-hard as it is to believe it PRACTICAL FLY FISHING -a rural suburb. On Mr. Beevers retirement from business they removed to Birdsgrove, near Ashbourne by the Dove, in Derbyshire and in 1827 they settled finally at the Thwaite House, Coniston, which has ever since been known, and widely known, by their name. Four years later Mr. W.
Beever died. His wife had died when the children were quite young. A second son, Henry, was settled in Manchester, practising as a lawyer but the rest remained for many years together,-Miss Anne, a year older than John, and her sisters, Mary, Margaret and Susanna. They lived a simple country life, spending much of their strength in the service of their village neigh- bours, secure in the affection of a close circle of friends, and contented with the harvest of a quiet eye. Several of the sisters became authorities on the botany of the district. Baxter in his Briiislt Ftwering Plants, speaking of a rare species of Pearlvort, says The specimen of this curious and interesting little plant, from which the accompanying drawing was made, was com- municated to me by Miss Susan Beever. To the kindness of this young lady, and that of her sister, Miss Mary Beever, I am indebted for the four plants figured in this number. MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR And in the latest Eha of the English Lake District, by Mr. J. G Baker, F.R.S. 1885, the name of Miss Beever occurs again and again.
Under their care the garden of the hwaite has become famous not only for its flowers,-for its rarities domesticated among old cottage- favourites, ideaIly picturesque,-but for other and more widely interesting associations. Ad- mirers of Mr...
