ENGLAND AND WALES 223 



rod-fishing for salmon to be carried on successfully ; 

 but if there is a flood in November or December 

 salmon to a very large number run up to spawn. 

 The net fishers in the tidal waters have benefited by 

 the working of the Fishery Act and the better pre- 

 servation of the spawning fish. Details of results are 

 not supplied to the Conservators. Rod-fishing begins 

 on May 1 and ends on November 29 ; but fish can 

 hardly ever ascend in the summer, when usually 

 the river is low. In 1905, I believe, only one fish 

 was taken by the rod. Formerly rod-fishing used 

 to begin in February, and I myself used to take 

 many in that month, March, and April ; but I never 

 caught a fresh-run fish. Peal run up in the summer, 

 and the Conservators are making improvements in 

 existing weirs."" 



In a pleasant letter the venerable Vicar of Mod- 

 bury, Mr. G. C. Green, author of Collections and 

 Recollections of Natural History and Sport, says : 



"Both the Erme and the Avon are prolific in 

 sea-trout near the mouth, the Erme especially pro- 

 ducing very large ones, up to 4 or 5 Ibs. and more ; 

 but my boys and myself have chiefly given our 

 attention to brown-trout fishing, which also is good." 



Colonel H. C. Eagles kindly enables me to give 

 an account of streams in or near south-west Devon. 



The PLYM has a run of salmon in October if 

 there are heavy floods ; but often the fish do not 

 appear until November or December, when rod- 

 fishing has ended. Most of them spawn in the 

 Meary Brook, above Shaugh Bridge, where the river 



