THE TROUT 



Mr. Craven says : * In all probability the Test 

 has more club and private waters than any other 

 stream of its size in England ; and moreover has 

 older records which records have been, and are, 

 properly kept by such clubs as the Longstock and 

 Stockbridge ones than any other river. 



'The Longstock Club is the same as the old 

 Leckford Club, though the members have crossed 

 the river for the sake of a more convenient house, 

 and have thereby lost a small piece of the Leckford 

 water. 



'The Club records date from 1798, and from 

 then till now every fish caught has been duly weighed, 

 and the books kept in perfect order. 



' It is a fact that, for more reasons than one, the 

 "catch" deteriorated from 1850 to 1870, compared 

 with that at the commencement of the century ; 

 when over 400 fish were caught during one Mayfly 

 season in the water below Testcombe Bridge to 

 within three-quarters of a mile of Stockbridge. 



'The Longstock Club water runs entirely on a 

 chalk bed, and there is no gravel except under the 

 hills on each side of the valley. The bottom of 

 the river is, in consequence, all mud collected from 

 the peaty soil through which it runs. The course of 

 the main stream has also completely changed in the 



