ANCIENT ANGLING AUTHORS 201 



readily estimated, if we consider that 300 Barges pass 

 and repass at least six Times in a Year : And yet, 

 which is still more surprising, the charge of the Locks 

 is not above one Third of the Expence of a single 

 Voyage. 



But that the Reader may have a clearer Notion 

 of this Matter, I shall subjoin a List of all the Locks 

 on the River Thames, with their Distance from each 

 other, and the Price the Barges are obliged to pay : 

 And herein it must be noted, that tho' between 

 Lechlade and Oxford there are few or no Locks, 

 yet in Summer, when the Water is low, they pay 

 what is here set down for Flashes only. 



From the list given it appears that Sutton, for 

 which a charge of i, 155. was made, was the most 

 expensive lock on the river. 



The above extracts were all taken from the first 

 edition of Brookes' Art of Angling. The subsequent 

 editions were considerably enlarged, and particulars 

 were added of record catches and large fish. 



In the fourth edition a perfumer, by name Warren, 

 is said to have caught in Walton Deeps, on 23rd 

 August 1771, 280 Ibs. of barbel before noon, when he 

 stopped, overcome with fatigue. On another occa- 

 sion the same fisherman caught 83 chub, the smallest 

 2 Ibs. and the largest 6 Ibs. in weight, in one morning. 

 Mr Warren used to ground bait over night with 

 worms, and use a perfumed hook bait the next 

 morning, a form of " cross-baiting " which is strongly 

 condemned nowadays. 



Two pike are said to have been taken at spawning 

 time from a ditch near Wallingford, the male fish 



