RIVERS OF THE DISTRICT 15 



25 Ibs. and 30 Ibs. can often be seen. Whilst the fish 

 lying in the river are numerous, they are, as a rule, 

 very shy on both top and bottom " feed," with the 

 result that the average take for the season is from 

 six to twenty fish only. The principal drawback 

 to salmon fishing in the Kent is the late arrival of 

 the fish, as when they are well on the " run " 

 autumn is far advanced, and the river is covered 

 with dead leaves and debris, rendering the fish 

 excessively shy and sulky. Looking at the Kent 

 as a salmon river, one of its disadvantages is the 

 number of obstacles to the free passage of fish. 

 The effect of these is that fewer fish enter the river 

 than would otherwise be the case, and consequently 

 the fish are deprived of miles of good spawning 

 ground. The serious nature of these obstructions 

 will be seen when it is remembered that the young 

 salmon spawned in a certain river as a rule return 

 to that river. Therefore for every adult fish that is 

 prevented reaching the spawning ground hundreds 

 of fish are sacrificed. 



Of the largest fish taken in the Kent with rod- 

 and-line I took careful memoranda, and the follow- 

 ing is the note made at the time on the photo- 

 graph of the fish and its captor. " A 30 Ib. 

 salmon, killed at the Waiste, on the Kent, 

 November 2, by Mr. R. Garnett. A splendid fish, 

 length 38 inches, girth 26 inches. Killed with a 

 Silver Doctor ; took three hours to land. J. W." 

 This is the largest fish actually taken with rod- 

 and-line, although fish of 40 Ibs. and upwards 

 have not unfrequently been captured in the 

 salmon nets at Levens and at the estuary of the 

 fiver. If these weights are not big ones it must 

 be borne in mind that the Kent is primarily 



