82 



fishing is becoming — indeed it has become — an expensive 

 luxury, which is no longer within the reach of anyone 

 save those blessed with long purses. 



If I have taken heavy toll from the Darenth — and I own 

 to a basket of ten brace weighing 381b. — yet have I made 

 ample and handsome restitution to the stream, in the way 

 of restocking. For every fish that I have taken out of our 

 little river I have certainly j)ut ten into it. This is the 

 only way in which a good head of trout can be maintained 

 in a stream so heavily fished, where ducks, swans, pike, 

 and herons work their wicked wills upon the redds and 

 amongst the young fry. I said something, in the foregoing, 

 about the fine size and quality of the Darenth trout, and 

 in proof of this assertion I may point to tTie fact that two 

 trout have been captured within recent times — between 

 Eynsford and Farningham — weigliing respectively 4flbs. 

 and 81bs. llozs. They both died ignominious and inglo- 

 rious deaths, at the hands of rustic poachers, but that fact is 

 not recorded upon the glass cases in which thej' are en- 

 shrined. 



Before passing away from the question of keeping up 

 the stocJi of fish in our Kentish trout stream, let me say a 

 word or two upon the havoc wrought of late years upon its 

 trout by the pike. The Darenth is infested with pike, and 

 the sooner this terrible fact is brought home to the upper 

 riparian owners, the greater will be the chances of ridding 

 the river of these pests. We are on the eve of the spawn- 

 ing season, and some concerted efforts are necessary to 

 secure the gravid pike and thus prevent them reproducing 

 their species. Up to some six or seven years ago, no one 

 ever heard of a jack being seen in this charming trout 

 stream. There is no mystery surrounding the introduction 

 of " Esox lucius." A pond, fed by springs at the source 

 of the river in Westerham, maintained a few trout, but 

 they did badly, the flow of water being very small. Some 

 clever person persuaded the owner to put pike in the water, 

 and he, knowing nothing of the habits of the "varmint," 

 acted on the advice thus given. In three years the progeny 

 of these imported pike had escaped from the pond, dropped 



