SOCIETIES OF LONDON AND THE PROVINCES. 21 



were empowered to enter boats to search for fish unlawfully 

 taken, and seize any unlawful net, &c. The Society also 

 had an understanding with its water-bailiffs, that they were 

 to net the ditches adjacent to the river immediately after 

 floods, and that they were to be constantly on the watch 

 for any infringement of the Thames Conservancy By-laws. 



During the nine years which have elapsed since their 

 establishment, a number of prosecutions have resulted from 

 the vigilance of their officers, and several convictions have 

 been obtained. The Society has also, after floods, dragged 

 the ditches in their district, from whence large quantities of 

 fish have been returned to the river. The water-bailiffs 

 have also taken a number of night-lines at different times, 

 and I feel, I may say without fear of contradiction, that the 

 Thames Conservancy By-laws are now far more respected 

 in this district than they ever were before. 



With a view to improve the fishing, the Society turned in, 

 by way of experiment, a large quantity of golden bream, 

 which were kindly placed at their disposal by the Bedford 

 Angling Association, but the fish appear to have left this 

 locality altogether, probably because the water, except in 

 certain places, was entirely unsuitable to their habits. 



From time to time a large quantity of good sized Wycombe 

 trout have been turned in, running from half to five pounds 

 in weight. I should mention that this Society wisely recog- 

 nised from the first that it was worse than useless to turn 

 in fish below half a pound in weight ; and if one may judge 

 from the quantity of trout of that breed now taken, and the 

 numbers of young fish seen in the Maidenhead waters, the 

 Society has been successful in that branch of their under- 

 taking, or at any rate so far as the limited means at their 

 'disposal would permit. 



The difficulty experienced in purchasing trout of the 



