26 THE ANGLING CLUBS AND PRESERVATION 



This very young association was started on the i8th of 

 June, 1878, with the object of protecting the rivers in and 

 about Newbury — putting a stop to poaching which had 

 been going on for years, and also the practice of taking 

 fish out of season, which was very rife. 



After considerable trouble on the part of its chairman 

 and committee it succeeded in obtaining leave to exercise 

 its protective right over the whole of the waters under the 

 control of the Mayor and Corporation of Newbury, also more 

 than seven miles of the Kennet and Avon Canal ; and it also 

 rents on a long lease about one mile of the river Lambourne, 

 abounding with trout, and on which stream only the fly is 

 allowed. 



The streams over which this association exercises con- 

 trol are the Kennet and many of its back streams, the 

 Lambourne, and the Kennet and Avon Canal. 



The fish found in these streams are all very fine, and 

 comprise trout, pike, perch, chub, barbel, roach, dace, carp, 

 tench, eels, gudgeon and — last, but by no means least — very 

 famous crayfish. Indeed, not m,any miles up the stream 

 there is an old saying concerning them, running as follows — 



" Hungerford crayfish, 

 Catch me if ye can ; 

 There's no such crawlers, 

 In the o-ce-an." 



In a short sketch like this it is impossible to do more 

 than glance at one or two of the notable fish for which this 

 neighbourhood is celebrated. 



Its trout are beaten nowhere, having been taken up to 

 20 lbs. While Pope pleasantly says of its eels — 



" The Kennet swift. 

 For silver eels renowned." 



And travellers of a nearly bygone age in the old 



