14 E. B. CEOFT — IZAAK "WAITOU" AND THE EIVEE LEA. 



the City of London as the Country ; for some "Water-men have 

 observed, that they delight in this Stream and phay much about 

 those Sluces near Waltham." And thirty-five years later Farmer, 

 in his ' Histoiy of Waltham Abbey,' * says that the river where it 

 parteth itself into several small rivers affords " Plenty of Fish, 

 some Salmon, Trouts, Eels, Carp, Tench, Pike, Perch, Crawfish, 

 and many others." I have not been able to ascertain the date of 

 the capture of the last salmon, probably they were very scarce, if 

 not extinct here, before the end of the last century. In anticipa- 

 tion of a good time coming, the Lee Conservancy forbid the capture 

 of any salmon of less than four pounds weight. 



"Walton mentions the SALMON--TEorrT {Salmo Tnitta), and in 1856 

 a remarkably fine salmon-trout, weighing between seven and eight 

 pounds, was reported to have been caught in the Bleak Hall 

 waters, near Edmonton. The report is mentioned by Mr. Henry 

 G. Bohn, in his ' Notes on Fishing "Waters,' but is not vouched for 

 by him. To me it seems improbable, though there is no reason 

 why a century earlier Salmo Trutta may not have been known in 

 our waters. 



We now come to the fish of which we have most reason to be 

 proud — the Teout [Salmo Fario). The capture of several are de- 

 scribed by "Walton ; the first we are told was twenty-two inches in 

 length, and would have sufficed for a meal for six hungry persons. 

 A trout of this size would weigh about 5lbs. This year (1881) 

 the largest fish captured was one of 12lbs. 4ozs., by Mr. Brookwell, 

 a celebrated Lea angler, at Dobb's "Weir; another was caught over 

 9lbs., and several were caught between 6lbs. and Bibs, in weight. f 

 "We learn from the ' Compleat Angler ' that a trout of an ell long 

 had had his picture taken, and that the picture was then " at mine 

 hoste Eickabie's at the George in "Ware"; we further learn that 

 it was doubted at the time whether it was not a salmon, but 

 "Walton says that it had all the signs of being a trout, in shape, 

 colour, and spots. I need scarcely say that any record of this 

 pictui'e would be most gratefully received by this Society. No 

 trout is allowed to be taken unless one pound in weight. 



After saying that " there is a fish that they in Lankie-shire boast 

 very much of, called a char" {Salmo Umhla), Walton mentions as 

 a Northumbrian fish the bull-trout [Salmo Eriox). The guiniad 

 ( Coregomis Pennanti), he says, is rare, and quotes Camden as to its 

 inhabiting the Pemble-mere, near Chester. Probably neither of 

 these have ever been known in the Lea. 



Efforts have recently been made, I believe with success, to 

 naturalize the Grayling [Thymallus vulgaris) in the Lea below 

 Hatfield, and it is mentioned in the Conservancy bye-laws as not 

 being allowed to be taken unless nine inches in length. 



* ' History of the Ancient Town and once Famous Abbey of "Waltham." By 

 J. Farmer, gent. London, printed for the Author, mdccxxxv. 



t For these and several other facts mentioned in this paper I have to thank 

 Mr. George Corbie, Clerk to the Lee Conservancy, who has been most kind in 

 procming me information. 



