CHAPTER II 



THE SURREY, MIDDLESEX, AND SUSSEX STREAMS 



These three counties may be grouped together, 

 their trouting streams being somewhat few and far 

 between. Middlesex has the Colne ; Surrey the 

 Wandle, the Tillingbourne, the Mole, and the Wey ; 

 whilst in Sussex there is the Rother, with several 

 tributaries containing trout. There are other 

 waters of course which contain trout, and I have 

 myself taken some in the Western Rother, which 

 does not, however, really merit even in its upper 

 reaches the title of trout stream, any more than 

 does the Arun, another of the coarse fish rivers of 

 Sussex. 



The Wandle is one of the most celebrated trout 

 streams in England. " In Case-Haulton," wrote 



The Thomas Fuller, *' there be excellent trouts ; 

 Wandle sq are there plenty of the best wallnuts, 

 as if nature had observed the rule of physic. Post 

 pisces^ mices^ Many writers have dwelt on the 

 beauties of the stream and the country round about 

 Carshalton. Davy described the Wandle as the 

 " best and clearest stream near London" ; and of the 

 then village but now semi-suburban town, Walpole 

 wrote that it was " as rural a village as if in 



