150 LONDON ANGLER'S BOOK, 



the Wandle there are no May flies, and I do not re- 

 collect ever to have seen any. In the upper part of 

 the stream, there are only Trout and Eels. 



A FALSE ALARM. 



Near the village of Carshalton in Surrey, there is a beautiful 

 Trout stream, which is strictly preserved, it is private property ; 

 there is but a foot path passing through. To this place two 

 bobbers stole a march early one June morning before the dawn of 

 day, and, taking their stand behind a tree, commenced business 

 successfully ; presently they heard a footstep along the gravel 

 path, and, concluding it to be the keeper, crouched down in the 

 grass ; the footstep reached the spot opposite where the Anglers 

 lay, and a voice exclaimed "this won't do," and, after a pause 

 again exclaimed " this won't do ; " the Anglers whispered each 

 other " 'tis the keeper !" again and louder " this won't do I say, 

 2 and a half or 3 gone tonight at least, this must not be carried 

 on any longer," the fishers were about to rise, but the voice pro- 

 ceeded, " and last night those other devils to keep me out, but I 

 must and will put a stop to this, one last night, and two here 

 to-night, they can't live if these goings on are not stopped," 

 the anxiety of the piscators may easily be imagined ; the footsteps 

 were again heard, and the voice thus continued, " Sal will cry 

 her eyes out when I only take home 10s. 6d. to keep her and the 



oung uns all the week, what a drunken fool I am." The footsteps 

 then gradually died away, and the fishers breathed again. 



THE HOGSM1LL RIVER. 



This river, so called from a mill near Kingston of 

 that name, it rises at Ewell, by Epsom, and runs near 

 Tahvorth Court and Maiden, to Kingston and the 



