300 HINTS ON ANGLING. 



opinion which, we feel persuaded, experience will justify 

 that comparatively, the rivers of England are becoming 

 closed to the brother of the craft. It is not pretended 

 that he is not permitted to pursue his avocation in many, 

 or, indeed, in most of the rivers in this country without 

 molestation ; but the position assumed is this, that a system 

 of preserving fish for individuals, instead of protecting 

 them for the public benefit, is calculated to destroy the 

 breed of fish, annoy the angler in the pursuit of his 

 amusement, and, in time, be subversive of his art. The 

 private gentleman of small means, is fast losing all the 

 little enjoyments that made a country life once so very 

 desirable; and, deprived, in common with the great bulk 

 of the middle classes, of all fair and legitimate partici- 

 pation in the fish and game of the land, he rejoices in 

 his secret soul that the lower orders are avenging the 

 injustice, by a system of determined and reckless poach- 

 ing, which the country magistrates are beginning to 

 discover, it is impossible to put down. 



Nothing can be more clear, than that the present 

 piscatory regulations engender habits of selfishness, and 

 foster notions of exclusiveness, which are totally at 

 variance with the public good, and yet are utterly 

 incapable of effecting the object for which it is professed 

 they were framed. The lord of a domain is enabled, 

 it is true, to shut up his water, through their instrumen- 

 tality, from the casual and uninjurious visitation of a 

 fair and quiet sportsman; but they afford him no pro- 

 tection whatever from the midnight marauder the man 

 of snares, and traps, and nets, and night-lines, who 

 plunders his waters far more in one week, than all the 

 fair and legitimate sportsmen in his district, put together, 

 would accomplish in a year. As far as fishing is con- 



