Trout-Spearing by Torchlight. 177 



Boteler said of Strawberries, Doubtless 

 God could have made a better berry, but 

 doubtless God never did : And so (if I 

 might be Judge) God never did make a 

 more calm, quiet, innocent recreation than 

 Angling." 



Some few years ago, when we were 

 wondering what few words we could put 

 under the memorial of the late Francis 

 Francis * in Winchester Cathedral, I sug- 

 gested to Mr. Senior those italicised 

 above, and these words from Walton are 

 now engraved there. 



Walton frequently refers to the trout 

 and trout rivers of Hampshire. In one 

 place he says : 



" Piscator. And you are to know that 

 in Hampshire, which I think exceeds all 

 England for swift, shallow, clear, pleasant 

 Brooks, and store of Trouts, they use to 

 catch Trouts in the night, by the light of 

 a Torch or Straw, which when they have 

 discovered, they strike with a Trout spear 

 or other wayes. This kind of way they 

 catch very many, but I would not believe 

 it till I was an eye-witness of it, nor do 

 I like it now I have seen it. 



" Venator. But Master, do not Trouts 

 see us in the night? 



* For many years angling editor of The Field, 

 author of A Book of Angling, etc. 



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