io6 SOUTH COUNTRY TROUT STREAMS 



been, as nearly as possible, 2 lbs., an average only 

 equalled so far as I can discover, on the Savernake 

 water referred to in another chapter. No fish is 

 taken of under i lb. Grayling have thriven greatly 

 in the Test. They came originally from Heron 

 Court, Lord Malmesbury's place on the (Christ- 

 church) Avon, and I am told that Mr. Harris of 

 Stockbridge, the old club keeper, recollects the 

 arrival of the first consignment, which, he says, 

 were turned in at Longstock, and not, as Sir 

 Humphrey Davy has asserted, at Leckford. Gray- 

 ling are very plentiful below the Houghton water, 

 and have been taken with fly up to and even over 

 3i lbs. Till within quite recent years no trout 

 of over 5 lbs. had been taken in the Houghton 

 water ; but there are now records of fish of 

 6 lbs., 7 lbs., and 8 lbs. taken near the town. In 

 1897 a trout of 10 lbs. was taken in the main 

 river with a piece of bread, and another of the 

 same weight was taken on a trimmer at Bossington, 

 below the club water. 



Among the principal fishing proprietors and 

 lessees of the Test are, beginning at its upper 

 waters, the following: — Colonel Bridges, Mr. Mel- 

 ville Portal, the Whitchurch Club, Lord Portsmouth 

 — who owns the greater part of the Bourne — Mr. 

 Watney, Lieutenant Hawker, Mr. Hammans, Mr. 

 Hodgson, Major Turle, Mr. Silva, Mr. Iremonger, 

 Mr. East, Mr. Longman, the Houghton Club, Mr. 

 Whitaker, Mr. Deverell, Sir A. Webster, Mrs. 

 Vaudry, Mrs. Thurston, Mr. Button, Mr. Griffiths, 

 Mn Montgomery, Mr. Mortimer, Mr. Spiller, the 

 Rt. Hon. Evelyn Ashley, and Captain Beaumont. 

 The chief clubs are The Whitchurch and The 

 Houghton — the latter consisting at the present 



