THE TROUT. 15 



confess, however, that he tries to keep up the spirits 

 of his customers by telling rather marvellous fishing 

 stories ; but this is a necessary part of his profes- 

 sion, and with such an instructor, any one may make 

 very considerable progress in the piscatory art in 

 a short time. I wish however to take this oppor- 

 tunity of cautioning him and his brethren of the 

 rod, not to angle for trout themselves. When not 

 otherwise employed, they are constantly doing this, 

 and the consequence is that their regular cus- 

 tomers are disappointed of their sport, and many 

 of them eventually go to more distant stations. 

 Living as I do near the banks of the river, I have 

 too many opportunities of witnessing these pro- 

 ceedings of the Thames fishermen, by which they 

 gain little and lose much in the end. 



The Thames trout are taken of a large size, 

 some of them having been caught, and that lately, 

 weighing as much as sixteen pounds. Trout 

 from eight to twelve pounds are by no means un- 

 common, and they afford excellent sport to the 

 angler. When caught, and if in season, there is 

 no fish in the world perhaps, which can equal 

 them in flavour and goodness. The high price 

 which is given for them is one proof of this, and I 

 never yet met with a real epicure who would not 

 give them the preference to any other fish. I will 

 state an instance of this. 



Two old friends, whose names I do not feel 



