DEVONSHIRE AND CORNWALL STREAMS 151 



scarcely compare with that of the Dart and one or 

 two other Devonshire waters, but it is still very 

 charming with its richly wooded vale between 

 Bampton and Tiverton, and its ''' enamelled mea- 

 dows " in many a winding stretch far below that 

 town. 



The Loman, or Lowman, which joins the Exe at 

 Tiverton, rises near Iluntsham, and is swelled by a 

 tributary at Uploman. It is nine or ten The 

 miles in length and contains a good num- Loman 

 ber of trout, which run about five or six to the 

 pound, with here and there a fish of J lb. The 

 stream is an early one, and these flies may be useci 

 by the angler : — Maxwell's blue, blue upright — the 

 female blue upright is said to be specially good on 

 this stream, as on the Culm — the little May dun, 

 and the spring fly. The last-mentioned is dressed 

 by Mr. Austin as follows : — Body — equal parts of 

 fox's and squirrel's fur from the back ; hackle — 

 rusty blue ; tying silk — primrose ; hooks — Nos. 4 

 and 5. Another list of flies serviceable for the 

 Loman has been supplied to me by an experienced 

 angler in the district, and this consists of blue 

 uprights, olive quill, and blue dun only. There 

 are no fish in the Loman but trout. The stream, 

 which is all private and preserved, flows for the 

 most part through a clay soil ; and in its upper 

 parts it is well wooded and rather difficult to fish. 



The Culm rises in the Black Downs, where are 

 also situated the sources of the Otter and of one or 

 two of the head branches of the Somerset- The 

 shire Tone, and flows to Culmstock through Culm 

 meadow and pasture lands bounded on either side 

 by ridges and hills of the Black Downs. Below 

 Culmstock it flows through a more open country. 



