A HISTORY OF LEICESTERSHIRE 



19. Common Bream. Abramls brama, Linn. 



Locally, Yellow Bream. 



Generally distributed in the Soar and Trent, and 

 Harley said : ' Abundant in the Soar at Aylestone, 

 also at Barrow.' Two bream were taken in Thrus- 

 sington Mill waters on 1 8 July, 1892, one of them, 

 caught by Mr. T. Condon, weighing 5 Ib. 5 oz., the 

 other, caught by Mr. W. Cross, weighing 4-lb. 3$ oz. 



20. White Bream. Abramis blicca, Bloch. 



Locally, Bream-flat. 



Occurs .in the Soar and Trent, and Harley reported 

 it as abundant in the Soar at Aylestone, and also at 

 Barrow. 



2 1 . Bleak. Alburnus lucldus, Hack, and Kner. 



Widely diffused, according to Harley. The late 

 Rev. C. H. Wood told me that before the flood-works 

 altered the condition of things, there used to be un- 

 commonly fine bleak in the Leicester waters. He 

 used to whip for them, and took one once which 

 measured 7 in. 



22. Loach. Ncmachilus barbatulus, Linn. 



Locally, Bearded Loach, Stone-Loach, Tommy 

 Loach. 1 



Generally distributed, and Harley recorded it from 

 the rivers Anker, Sence, Smite, Soar, Trent, and 

 Wreak. In the Gentleman's Magazine, December, 

 1798, an interesting and curious description is given 

 by J. Throsby, of what was evidently one of the pre- 

 sent species, which was taken from the mud left on 

 the bank of the River Soar at the Bath Gardens. 



23. Spined Loach. Cobltls taenia, Linn. 



Locally, Groundling. 



Occurs sparingly in some few streams. Harley 

 wrote : ' Inhabits the Soar, Trent and Wreake.' I 

 took a specimen in a small stream at Aylestone on 

 14 April, 1883. 



MALACOPTERYGII 



24. Salmon. Salmo salar, Linn. 



Harley stated that this species occurred in the 

 Soar about Kegworth and near Loughborough, and 

 also that it had been taken at Zouch Mills, near 

 Loughborough. At the present day, however, it 

 must be regarded as rare, although I heard of one 

 taken at RatclifFe Lock in 1883 which was said to 

 have weighed 26 Ib. 



The Leicester Daily Post, of 21 February, 1884, 

 recorded under the heading ' Unseasonable Salmon,' 

 that some men were fined for taking a salmon on 

 19 January, 1884, which they explained they had 

 seen in the stream at Dishley pursued by a mob of 

 men and boys. The Rev. C. H. Wood reported that 

 a salmon had been taken from Mr. Farnham's brook 

 at Quorn, and the latter being written to for parti- 

 culars, replied on 19 January, 1891, saying that 

 the salmon in question, a female, was caught on 

 22 November, 1880, and weighed 22^ Ib. It had 

 been stuffed, and was in his possession. Mr. Farnham 



1 Leicestinhirt Provirbi. 



added that at the time there were e'.even others in 

 the same small pool, but he had only seen one that 

 winter. The late Dr. Macaulay afterwards reported 

 the above capture to me, but gave the date as 

 II December, 1880, and the weight as 23^ Ib. 



25. Common Trout. Salmo fario, Linn. 

 Locally, Brook Trout. 



Sparingly distributed in the county. At Bradgate, 

 where it is strictly preserved, it is abundant and attains 

 a fair size. Thornton Reservoir was, however, at one 

 time, so I am informed by Mr. G. Lillingston John- 

 son, of Ulverscroft, ' the best bit of still-water trout- 

 fishing in England,' a fact corroborated by Mr. J. 

 Garle Browne, of Leamington, who says : 'A 

 trout-lake, unrivalled for the great average weight of 

 the fish.' His diary (kindly forwarded to me) 

 records the taking by him of many trout of 3 Ib. 

 and 4 Ib. weight. One was taken on 1 1 August, 

 1859, of 4lb. 13 oz. ; and another on 16 August, 

 of 4 Ib. 9 oz. On I September, 1860, he took eight 

 fish, the total weight of which was 3olb. 4oz. On 

 I 3 May, 1 86 1 , he caught a fish of 4^ Ib. ; on 1 6 May, 

 one of 4 Ib. I o oz. ; and in five consecutive days 

 13 to 17 May, 1 86 1 he killed twenty-seven fish, 

 only eight of which were under 3 Ib., and only two of 

 these just under 2 Ib., the largest being 4lb. looz., 

 and the whole twenty-seven fish making the remark- 

 able aggregate weight of 87 Ib. ! The finest fish, 

 however, ki'led by Mr. Browne was one, on 19 August, 

 1859, which weighed 6 Ib. I oz. The flesh of these 

 trout is reported to have been of an apricot colour, 

 and of a singular excellence in flavour. The glories 

 of Thornton have, however, departed probably for 

 ever. First came a fungoid growth of the nature of 

 Sapnlegnia ferax, and then by some means or another 

 perch were introduced. 



Mr. W. J. Horn, writing in 1886, records a trout 

 of 5 Ib. taken by rod and line in the Eye Brook above 

 Allexton. 



In 1887 some trout were introduced by the Ang- 

 ling Society into the River Soar near Aylestone, and 

 on 16 March, 1888, the second instalment of 530 

 yearling trout was introduced, being purchased from 

 the Marquis of Exeter's fishery, and Mr. W. T. Silk, 

 the manager, who has kindly given me much infor- 

 mation, writes that they ' were a cross between S.faiio 

 and S.ferox, and grow to a large size, and are very 

 game.' The late Rev. C. H. Wood mentioned having 

 seen trout taken by the late Rev. Ed. Smallwood at 

 Thornton Reservoir, sometime about 1868, which 

 scaled close upon 6 Ib., and the Leicester Daily 

 Mercury, of 20 June, 1890, reports the capture of a 

 trout by Mr. J. Norton, in the Anstey Brook, 

 which measured 24 in. and weighed 5 Ib. The 

 late Dr. Macaulay wrote to me in 1892 : 

 ' Mr. C. E. de Trafford has introduced Loch Leven 

 trout at Hothorpe, and has set up hatching and breed- 

 ing ponds. In August, 1891, I saw thousands of 

 trout in these preserves, and by permission of Mr. de 

 Trafford I filled my creel with ten brace of beauties 

 from the brook.' 



26. Grayling. Thymallas vexillifer, Linn. 



Harley wrote : ' Appears to be limited to the 

 Soar and its confluence with the Trent,' but I 

 have no knowledge of it, and doubt its occurrence 



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