4 THE ANGLING CLUBS AND PRESERVATION 



With regard to the provincial societies, the line adopted 

 has been entirely different — not in so far as I personally 

 was concerned, because the same letter was addressed to 

 each and all, but in the matter of politeness and courteous 

 consideration towards myself. The result leaves me little 

 room for doubt that the gentlenesses of modern society are 

 cultivated far more abroad than they are at home. Many 

 gentlemen have taken considerable trouble in affording 

 me especially valuable information ; to all such I tender 

 my warmest and heartiest thanks — not so much perhaps 

 for the knowledge conveyed in their letters, as for the 

 kindly sentiments which accompanied it. 



Thus much by way of introduction. For the reason 

 stated, I regret very much that my little book does not 

 contain fuller and more concise information, I leave it, 

 however, to the tender mercies of my readers. 



It would probably be very difficult for the angler of 

 to-day to realise what the Thames and the Lea were like 

 some fifty years ago. Those are the two great home rivers, 

 centres of all the persevering efforts made day by day, week 

 by week, and month after month, by the London angler, 

 whose great aim it is to catch a big fish of some sort — it 

 matters very little what — and have his name go down 

 to posterity, decked with emblematic laurels as the 

 " champion " in such and such a class of fishing. Such 

 happy fate may be preserved for all time — until at any rate 

 the record is beaten — upon the tablets of fame connected 

 with some small local angling club. 



But fifty years ago — and what a paradise for sports- 

 men the Thames must have been then ! — swans were kept 



