12 THE ANGLING CLUBS AND PRESERVATION 



hooked ; two large sugar casks, tenter-hooked ; two punt 

 loads of old iron gas lamps and other useful things ; and 

 three sacks of tin cuttings for the landing-places along the 

 shore." 



In December 1857 the Board of Thames Conservancy- 

 became invested with fuller powers in its' government, and 

 an application made by the Thames Angling Preservation 

 Society for a continuance of the powers vested in their 

 bailiffs or water-keepers was at once granted. The next 

 step taken for the further preservation of the fisheries of the 

 Thames was in 1869, when an application was made for the 

 whole abolition of netting between Richmond Bridge and 

 the City Stone at Staines. This w^as supported by the 

 entire body of Thames fishermen, and in consequence of 

 the Conservancy Board acceding to the application the 

 following notice was inserted in several of the London 

 papers : — 



" Be it ordered and established that the i6th item of 

 the rules, orders, and ordinances for the fisheries in the 

 Thames and Medway, made on the 4th day of October, 

 1785, be repealed, and that henceforth no person shall 

 use any net for the purpose of catching fish in the River 

 Thames between Richmond Bridge and the ' City Stone ' 

 at Staines, except a small net for the purpose of taking 

 bait only, of the following dimensions — namely, not ex- 

 ceeding 13 feet in circumference, and an angler's landing 

 net, under penalty to forfeit and pay £<) for every such 

 offence. The seal of the Conservators of the River 

 Thames was this 23rd day of January, i860, affixed by 

 order." 



But the most important work, after all, effected by 

 the Thames Angling Preservation Society was perhaps 

 the abolition of snatching and laying night lines. It is 



