FOUR MEN IN A BOAT. 133 



abused, disreputable fish ! Notwithstanding his bad 

 character, he is a comely fish, and a half pound chub 

 will fight pluckily, and give as much sport at times as 

 a gentlemanly trout. There are some grayling to be 

 had for the catching. The river swarms with what 

 they call last-springs, or fingerlings, or young salmon, 

 and there ought to be good salmon fishing in those 

 long, deep reaches. Occasionally one hears and sees 

 a big splash, and a lordly salmon throws a somersault 

 clear out of the water ; but the sight is rare, for the 

 river hereabouts is netted and poached in every con- 

 ceivable way and there is no one to prevent it. 

 Even the riparian owners are constantly netting their 

 water, and keep all they catch, big or little. Round 

 about Hereford I suppose things are different, and 

 some respect is paid to the written and unwritten 

 laws of angling. Mr. Hatton, an occasional cor- 

 respondent of the " F. G.," I think, has been in luck 

 this season. I did not meet him, but I saw in his 

 shop the model of a 40 Ib. salmon, caught by him, 

 with rod and line, some few miles below Hereford ; a 

 trophy of which he may well be proud. 



We reached Hereford on Election Day. Our first 

 sight on crossing the bridge was a curious one. We 

 met a splendid carriage and pair, with a liveried 

 coachman and footman and gaily bespangled horses, 

 and inside, lolling with his head in one corner and his 

 dirty feet and legs stretched aslant on the opposite 

 delicate cushions, was a sweep with a black pipe 

 in his month, as drunk and as dignified as any lord 

 who ever rode in a carriage. He had been to the poll. 

 His colours were true blue cornflowers and ribbons. 



