98 FISHES AND FI8HIXG. 



year, and as above, is the Oxley Mill, or Abbey river, 

 near Chertsey ; it comes out of the Thames, about Pen- 

 ton Hook, near Staines ; most probably a cut made 

 artificially by the monks of Chertsey Abbey, to give 

 motive power to their mill, a little above Chertsey 

 bridge, where this river discharges itself again into 

 the Thames; a small stream arising at or near Egham 

 joins it. There are few rivers better stocked with 

 pike, perch, roach, dace, and chub, than this ; the 

 soil it runs over, is partly a sandy loam. During 

 the heavy floods'of winter, very deep holes, alter 

 nating with shallows, have been formed, and from the 

 light colour of the bottom, the fish can be clearly seen 

 in them in great depths during bright days. I have 

 seen a dozen or more of perch swimming together, 

 not one less than two to three pounds; and I saw 

 one about four pounds, seize a roach near or quite 

 six ounces, which the perch pressed against the bank, 

 endeavouring to turn the former, so as to take him 

 head foremost ; when the perch had accomplished that 

 object, he sailed away into deep water, with part of 

 the tail end of the roach projecting from his mouth ; 

 a fact which proves what I have just before ob 

 served as to fish of prey. 



This river is encumbered with wood, but fine chub 

 may be taken by dibbing with a large blue-bottle, a 

 moth, or, during the season, a cockchafer. 



