APRIL 61 



One well-known Thames angler told me that when he 

 hooked a 7-pounder several years ago below Henley, the 

 fish made one dash for the bank, leaped out on the 

 reeds, gave two kicks, got back in the river, then ran off 

 half his line in one screech, leaped twice, and was 

 finally landed a quarter of a mile below the spot at 

 which he was hooked. 



As regards the future of Thames trout-fishing things 

 look all right, although it is to be feared that the size 

 of the individual fish is diminishing, although the 

 numbers are increasing ; if anything, a little too much 

 re-stocking is taking place. It would be as well, if 

 any trout are to be put in, that they should be three 

 years old and upwards : otherwise, sooner or later, 

 overcrowding will, I greatly fear, have a marked effect 

 on the standard of size. 



It may be asked where such trouting is to oe obtained. 

 The answer is pretty nearly everywhere on the Thames. 

 Shepperton, Henley, Pangbourne, Egham, and the 

 Clappers at Reading are places of which the author has 

 most experience; but no doubt there are still more 

 excellent portions of the river. Should the angler live 

 near the river he can get excellent trouting night and 

 morning, and need not be dependent on a professional 

 to spot his fish for him. On the other hand, if he lives 

 at a distance, a fisherman is an absolute necessity, 

 unless he be content to spin the weirs on the off chance. 

 Then the bait difficulty occurs : owing to some mistaken 

 idea the Fishmongers' Company have forbidden the sale 

 of preserved bait during the close season, so that fish 

 taken months previously must not be sold, though fresh 

 live fish are permitted to be taken out of the river to be 

 used as bait. There is no doubt that this anomaly 

 cannot exist much longer, but as it stands at present it 

 is a serious nuisance to any trout angler not employing 

 a professional fisherman. An hour or so has to be 

 devoted to catching one's own bait, or the risk must be 

 run of being prosecuted for purchasing from some one 

 on the river's bank. 



Perhaps the chief advantage of living close to the 



