THE THAMES. 07 



may continue his amusement till seven in the evening., when it will 

 be flood again. This is the only method which can give any 

 reasonable chance of success. And the same remarks apply to 

 all the parts of the river which lie between this place and Tedding- 

 t on Lock, where the _ tide movement terminates. Particular fish 

 lie in particular sections of the river ; and this must also be 

 noticed by the rod-fisher. On the towing-path above the bridge, 

 on the Richmond side, dace and barbel are plentiful, and there is 

 a good stretch of fly-fishing water from the west end of the Duke 

 of Buccleuch's garden to Twickenham Ferry. 



TWICKENHAM. This is a celebrated spot in literary history, 

 having been the place of residence of Pope. It is much frequented 

 by anglers from the metropolis. There is a long deep in which 

 dace and barbel abound; but the preserved waters extend four 

 hundred and ten yards from the western extremity of Pope's 

 Villa to the Ait. This circumscribes the movements of the 

 general angler considerably, All the resident anglers in this 

 vicinity affirm that the angling has greatly improved here within 

 the last few years, and that the best months for fishing these deep 

 pools are September and October. The early portion of the season 

 is not favourable for sport. 



TEDDINGTON LOCK is a noted place, and forms a well-known 

 and pointed landmark between the fresh and the salt water. It is 

 a mile and a half beyond Twickenham. Plenty of barbel, of large 

 size, are to be found here. There are more fish of every kind 

 about the waters in this locality than almost any other on the 

 Thames, and chiefly from this cause : when the season proves a 

 dry one, and the stream becomes shallow, the fish cannot ascend 

 above the lock, and consequently have to take shelter below it. 

 This has rendered Teddington a great favourite with metropolitan 

 sportsmen. Many of them have achieved great things here, killing 

 their forty, fifty, and sixty barbel a-day. Gudgeons are likewise 

 taken here in great quantities when the water is in good order. 

 Teddington Lock has likewise the honour of being considered, in 

 the popular creed, as a commencing or starting rjoint in the Thames 

 for real trout fishing. Whatever are taken 01 this enviable fish 

 further down the river, are only considered as mere accidents, or 

 exceptions to a general rule, very large trout have been from 

 time to time taken out of the water below the Weir three or font 

 within the last few years, weighing fourteen and fifteen pounds. 

 In the meadows above the lock, and below the village, there are 

 some stretches of good fishing water, and here jack are^ occasionally 

 taken of fair size and most excellent quality. The inns are the 

 King's Head, and the George ; and the fishermen Redgate, Coxon, 

 Harris, and Chamberlain. 



KINGSTON is considered by many Thames rod-fishers to be as 

 good a spot as Teddington for barbel, perch, and dace. There is, 

 however, a general notion abroad that the fishing has been impaired 

 since the old bridge was removed. This removal interfered with 



n 



