THE TROUT. 1 1 



Having given this account of what I consider to 

 be the inferior kind of fishing in the river Thames, 

 I will now, u loving reader,"" say somewhat respect- 

 ing the trout fishers. These are generally first- 

 rate performers, and proofs of their skill may fre- 

 quently be found by markings or outlines of fish 

 on the walls, or preserved by paintings, at some of 

 the comfortable little inns near the banks of the 

 Thames, between Ditton and Windsor, and proba- 

 bly much higher up. Thus, 'June 25th, 181H, 

 ' Mr. D'Almaine caught^ at Hampton Deep, two 

 ' trout, one weighing eight pounds and a-half, and 

 ' the other seven pounds. Langshaw, Fisherman." 

 And an outline of the fish is given. Perhaps how- 

 ever, the greatest feat which has been thus comme- 

 morated, is the following : 



' October 3d, 1812, at Shepperton Deeps, Mr 

 ' G. Marshall, of Brewer Street, London, caught 

 ' a salmon with single-gut, without a landing net, 

 * weighing twenty-one and a quarter pounds.' The 

 picture of this salmon has, I believe, been lately 

 removed from Shepperton to Staines. 



The art of fishing for trout from the tops of the 

 weirs of the river Thames, is, I may venture to 

 say, confined to very few, and to those only who 

 have been in the habit of practising it for a consi- 

 derable length of time. It requires good tackle, 

 great skill, and some nerve. A bungler would 

 even find it difficult to put a bleak properly on a 



