, ▁the ▁original ▁prospect us ▁described ▁the ▁club ' s ▁purposes ▁as ▁follows : ▁ ▁" To ▁bring ▁together ▁gentlemen ▁devoted ▁to ▁fly - f ishing ▁generally . ▁" To ▁afford ▁a ▁ready ▁means ▁of ▁communication ▁between ▁those ▁interested ▁in ▁this ▁delight ful ▁art . ▁" To ▁provide ▁in ▁the ▁reading - room , ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁all ▁the ▁usual ▁newsp apers , ▁period ical s , ▁& c ., ▁catalog ues , ▁and ▁books , ▁foreign ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁English , ▁having ▁reference ▁to ▁fish ing , ▁particularly ▁to ▁fly - f ishing ▁so ▁as ▁to ▁render ▁the ▁club ▁a ▁means ▁of ▁obtain ing ▁knowledge ▁about ▁new ▁fish ing ▁places ▁and ▁vac an cies ▁for ▁ro ds , ▁and ▁making ▁it ▁a ▁general ▁medium ▁of ▁information ▁on ▁all ▁points ▁rel ating ▁to ▁the ▁art ." ▁ ▁The ▁club ▁publish es ▁a ▁long - standing ▁magazine , ▁the ▁Fly fish ers ' ▁Journal ; ▁writers ▁included ▁G . ▁E . ▁M . ▁Sk ues , ▁who ▁has ▁been ▁described ▁as ▁" one ▁of ▁the ▁greatest ▁tr out ▁fish erm en ▁that ▁ever ▁lived ." ▁Sk ues ▁dedicated ▁his ▁ 1 9 2 1 ▁book , ▁The ▁Way ▁of ▁a ▁Tr out ▁with ▁the ▁Fly ▁to ▁The ▁Fly fish ers ' ▁Club ▁" in ▁grat itude ▁for ▁many ▁happy ▁hours ▁and ▁some ▁pr ic eless ▁friends ". ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 8 , ▁a ▁debate ▁was ▁held ▁at ▁the ▁club ▁on ▁Sk ues ' s ▁controvers ial ▁theories ▁about ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁n