MINNOW AND WORM 143 



have spinning baits at the end of them. Not that 

 previous experience of the Thames has encouraged 

 me to boast much about that water. My total 

 catch of Thames trout could be counted on one 

 finger of one hand. And my only claim to distinc- 

 tion in this fishing is that my capture is the smallest 

 authentic Thames trout on record — at any rate I 

 do not think any one else can have landed one of 

 seven and a half inches in a district where there had 

 been no restocking with yearlings. Somebody may 

 counter me with the proud claim of a six-inch 

 specimen, but if so I shall be surprised, and anyway 

 I hope he will be no more able to produce his evidence 

 than I am to produce mine. 



The Thames has treated me very badly, for I 

 have done a certain amount of angling for its trout 

 on and off. For two or three years a week-end 

 cottage on an upper reach gave me opportunity, 

 and I made fairly diligent use of it, both with spin- 

 ning bait and fly. But I never even hooked a fish 

 at that time save the baby mentioned, though one 

 day I had the excitement of seeing two pretty big 

 ones roll over at a gold-bodied salmon-fly, unhappily 

 without touching it. And I had other thrilling 

 times too. Well do I remember two or three 

 summer evenings spent on Benson weirpool, and the 

 really alarming sight when just before dark heavy 

 trout came on to feed in various portions of the big 



