CHAPTER VIII 



THE WILTSHIRE STREAMS 



As it is, Wiltshire is one of the best trouting 

 counties in the south of England, and, if its streams 

 were more carefully preserved throughout and 

 regularly stocked, I am inclined to think that it 

 would rank scarcely second even to Hampshire. 

 The (Christchurch) Avon, Wiltshire's principal river, 

 flows during a considerable part of its course due 

 south to the English Channel, and it is swelled on 

 its way by such admirable chalk streams as the 

 Wylye, or Wily, the Nadder, the Bourne Brook, 

 Winterbourne, or Porton stream, and the Ebble. 

 These streams may be said to water the southern 

 half, whilst the (Bristol) Avon, with its tributaries, 

 and the Upper Kennct water the northern half of the 

 county. In the extreme north of Wiltshire is the 

 Thames, or more correctly speaking, perhaps, the 

 I sis, with a small tributary or two, such as the Ray 

 and the Cole. These do not merit attention as 

 trout streams, though many a pleasant day's coarse 

 fishing in past times has the writer enjoyed in the 

 Cole, which used to contain plenty of chub, pike, 

 perch, and dace. 



