144 THE BRITISH ANGLER'S LEXICON. 



The public have no right to fish from a bridge, road, or 

 towing path ; nor even if they have a right to fish in a river, 

 they have not the right to go on or use the banks for fishing 

 without the owner's permission, and he can withdraw that 

 at any time'. An angler has no right to fish from or on the 

 Queen's share or gap. In streams not navigable the 

 general rule is that each riparian owner z'.^., the owner of 

 the lands on the banks of the stream has a right to fish up 

 to the middle line of the stream ; if he owns both sides, 

 then he has exclusive right to the whole fishing of the 

 stream so far as his lands extend. The principal law that 

 the angler has to observe is that of trespass. He has no 

 right anywhere to go on lands to fish a stream without 

 permission from the owners of the lands. Many streams, 

 by usage, are free to all anglers, and no hindrance is 

 offered to using the banks. It is always well for the angler 

 to ascertain if this is the case or not before attempting to fish 

 a stream. There are special statutes affecting many of the 

 noted rivers, such as the Solway, Tweed, Thames, &c., &c. r 

 but they do not interfere with the general law. The 

 weekly close season (q.v.) is between six of the clock 

 on Saturday morning and six of the clock on the Monday 

 morning following. The annual close season (q.v.} for 

 angling with single rod and line, and this for salmon 

 and trout, was fixed to be uniform over Ireland, to be 

 from the first day of November to the first day of February, 

 in each fishery, and should not comprise fewer than ninety 

 days. The season for nets was originally uniform, but 

 power was given to alter, and it varies in different districts; 

 but it must comprise not fewer than one hundred and 

 sixty-eight days. The close season for trout is the same 

 as for salmon. A free or Queen's gap must exist in all 



