DEVONSHIRE AND CORNWALL STREAMS 147 



Torridge (the whole of the North Coast of 

 Devonshire. The Cornwall Fishery Districts 

 are : — The Fowey (Peel Point to Rame Head), and 

 the Camel (which covers the western boundary of 

 Devonshire to Peel Point). 



I. Devonshire 



The Axe is one of the most fishable of Devon- 

 shire streams. It rises near Picket Mill in Somerset- 

 shire, and, after receiving a small tributary The 

 or two, such as the Kit, and passing Chard ^^^ 

 Junction, enters Devonshire at a point two miles 

 above Axminster. This town may be regarded as 

 the principal headquarters of the angler on this 

 stream, and the chief hotel is the George. 

 Below Axminster the stream receives the Yarty, 

 and at Colyton a tributary called the Coly, which 

 rises at Cotleigh, and runs a course of about 

 fourteen miles. The Axe reaches the sea at 

 Seaton, below Axmouth. It is a clear and rapid 

 stream, containing salmon as well as trout. Atone 

 time indeed the former fish must have been pretty 

 abundant in the Axe, for there are old indentures 

 still existing which stipulate that apprentices at 

 Axminster shall not be fed on salmon more than 

 twice a week. Trout are fairly plentiful in the 

 Axe, and the fish killed run from ^ lb. to | lb. 

 Fly fishing is the usual method of angling, and the 

 favourite flies are the blue upright, the red palmer, 

 the iron blue dun, the blue dun, and the March 

 brown. There are no angling clubs on this stream, 

 and the fishing is mostly preserved by the owners 

 and occupiers. The country through which the 



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