54 SOUTH COUNTRY TROUT STREAMS 



trout. That the trout were destroyed by the paper 

 mills is not altogether true, although there have 

 been times in the past when a pipe would burst 

 in the winter and some strong chemicals go down 

 the stream killing the fish. This has happened 

 twice within my memory. Again, there have 

 been times when people have intentionally put 

 chloride of lime in the stream, killing thereby 

 numbers of fish, which have been sold in the public 

 houses for trifling sums. The finest fish we used 

 to catch in the late Mr. Joynson's time — which is 

 speaking of twenty-two years ago or mr)re — were 

 taken at the mill tail, where the water used for 

 paper-making purposes used to run out into the 

 river. Of late years we have used the sewer for 

 the greater part of our water, more especially for 

 such as would be polluted by the chemicals ; and 

 it has been during that time principally that less 

 and less fish have been seen in the stream. I have 

 about a quarter of a mile of water above the mill 

 where I keep some trout, most of which I have 

 bought from various fisheries. I have tried several 

 seasons to rear them myself, but only once with 

 any success, for when they have reached the age 

 of a few months from some cause or other they 

 have all died." Mr. Joynson does not think that 

 re-stocking the Cray would prove successful ; and 

 he says, " 1 wonder where those trout which I put 

 in the stream have gone to. They have somehow 

 all disappeared, excepting the few which cannot get 

 away unless there is a flooding ; then they go down 

 the side cuttings and are not seen again." 



The angling outlook therefore does not appear 

 to be a rosy one, although it is certain that the fish 

 which have been put in the stream and which have 



