DEVONSHIRE AND CORNWALL STREAMS 165 



Tawton, two miles below which place it enters upon 

 its estuary at Barnstaple. Its three chief tribu- 

 taries are the Lapford Water, with its tributary the 

 Washford Brook, Little Dart — which flows in near 

 Chumleigh — the Yeo, with its tributaries the IMole 

 and the Bray, and the Kcntisbury Water, which 

 flows in at Barnstaple. There is a fair head of 

 trout in the upper portions of the Taw, where 

 they run about a quarter of a pound apiece. The 

 artificial fly is principally used before the begin- 

 ning of May, after which time the minnow is 

 the favourite lure on this stream. The flies chiefly 

 used are the blue uprights, March brown, iron 

 blue dun, yellow dun, olive and blue dun, red 

 spinner, red (and silver) palmer, and half stone. 

 Salmon are found in the lower portions of the 

 Taw after the first high flood of October, and, 

 if the summer be sufficiently wet, a fair number 

 of fish ascend again in July. Salmon-peel, which 

 fifteen years ago were usually abundant in July, 

 have now, by reason of over-netting in the estuary, 

 become exceedingly scarce. There are no angling 

 clubs or associations on the Taw, but strangers 

 staying at the Fox and Hounds, Eggesford, or at 

 the Fortescue Arms, South Molton Road Station, 

 can get fishing. 



The Little Dart, which receives the Sturcombe 

 above Witheridge, is one of the chief tributaries of 

 the Taw. It rises on Rackenford Moor, j.^^ 

 and joins the main river a little below Litiie 

 Eggesford station. The Little Dart flows ^^ 

 through a hilly and very pretty country, and 

 contains a good number of trout, running from 

 three ounces to half a pound, whilst occasionally 

 one may take a i-lb. fish. In summer the Little 



