James Mottram wrote at the height of great intellectual turmoil in the world of British fly fishing. Advocates of dry-fly fishing quarreled with their nymph-fishing counterparts over which type of fishing was not only more effective, but also more appropriate. Mottram entered this bitter debate when he calmly considered the strengths, weaknesses and prospects of all fly-fishing methods. Paul Schullery praises Mottrams enthusiastic voice, ceaseless curiousity and intuitive sense of how things worked. Mottram who was scientifically trained, was also a lively and inventive storyteller which only adds to the value of his work today.