ii 4 THE TROUT 



Up to a short time ago the Hertfordshire Lea 

 always principally during the Mayfly season 

 furnished a considerable supply of trout weighing 

 between 2 and 5 Ibs. I once saw placed on the floor 

 of a railway carriage four trout averaging well over 

 3 Ibs., the proceeds of a day's fishing in the Mayfly 

 time on the Hatfield Club's water on that river ; and 

 the fortunate angler told me that other rods had 

 done as well, or better. Reverting to the Mimram, 

 of recent times no stream, taking its size into con- 

 sideration, has afforded more sport, or yielded 

 larger fish. The Tewin water length, near Welwyn, 

 has always held very big trout, and still preserves 

 that sound characteristic. No weightier bag is often 

 heard of than that which was made there a few years 

 back by two friends of mine, when they eventually 

 took to returning to the river every trout they caught 

 which did not seem to be well above 2^ Ibs. ! 



The Midland and Northern streams do not produce 

 trout of the same size as do the Southern rivers ; and 

 on the Derbyshire Wye a 2-lb. fish is considered a 

 very good one. Nevertheless I know of one angler 

 who in the season of 1897, on the stretch of the ' open ' 

 water of that river, between Rowsley and Bakewell, 

 caught three trout each of which weighed over 3 Ibs. 



In the smaller Devonshire rivers a trout of i Ib. is 

 regarded as a very worthy fish indeed. 



