




Shaugh Bridge, Bickleigh Vale, Devonshire. 
Boiant and Spencer Baird, president 
and secretary of the Smithsonian insti- 
tute (an institution worthy of any 
country), I thought I could not do bet- 
ter than commence the year (1895) by 
giving you a few reminiscences of fish 
and fishing in the salt and fresh waters 
of the old country. 
I will now leave the boisterous lo- 
cality of the Eddystone, and ask you 
to wander with me to more pleasant 
scenes that are historical as well as 
beautiful. Follow me to the Plym, 
near which one of the oldest cities in 
England is built. It is a name hon- 
ored by all, both at home and in your 
country, and I think I am not wrong 
in saying it is historic. Let us cross 
Laura Bridge that is built on the Plym, 
and we may see some fine horses, for 
Taltrem races are being held. There 
are some fine pools along its banks, and 
formerly great quantities of salmon 
were taken every season, but the spear 


(From an Old Print). 
and many other foul appliances have 
destroyed this as a fishing locality, and 
the salmon has become a very rare fish 
in these waters. 
A royal commission was instituted a 
few years since to inquire into the 
causes of the almost total destruction 
(comparatively speaking) of the salmon 
fisheries in the mother country. A 
most valuable and voluminous report 
was published. It is replete with valu- 
able information. 
We have now arrived at the Camslate 
quarries, and they are very valuable. 
We have now before us what may be 
fairly termed the far-famed Bickleigh 
vale. Bickleigh vale, for untold time, 
had been the resort of all who loved 
beauty of scenery, and the temptation 
for good trout fishing led to endless 
picnic partics, where many a fair girl 
learned the art of fly fishing and cap- 
tured something more than the speckled 
beauties that graced her fishing basket. 
‘ 
