AND HOW I HAVE CAUGHT MY FISH 337 



provided with new haunts. The increasing twirling 

 and twisting, moving and removing, and the shoals, 

 deeps, rapids and lay-byes thereby formed, is just 

 what Nature intended Thames fish to enjoy. Make 

 as many deeps by the aid of dredging machines 

 as you may, and, as soon as the dredging ceases, 

 the fish will desert them for one of Nature's 

 making ; straighten the river, shear and concrete 

 its banks, fill in the lay-byes, and each and all of 

 those works will most assuredly hasten on the 

 day when the artificial propagation of fish shall 

 become imperative. 



I have stated that this is one of the best one 

 and-a-half mile's fishing the Thames can boast of ; 

 I would add that it requires more protection than 

 any other ; and now let me challenge any man to 

 say that he knows, of his own knowledge, that 

 it has been visited by a river-keeper during the 

 past twelve months. Poaching goes on here, but 

 who remembers a poacher being captured? Let me 

 be just, I remember seeing one caught, and I think 

 it worth your trouble to read how it was done. 



Early one morning I was making for my punt 

 which I had left the previous night. As I travelled 

 up I noticed two bank-anglers walking in front ; 

 they suddenly stopped and hid themselves behind 

 a bush, in such a manner as left no doubt in my 

 mind that they were watching some one. Behind 

 a tree, close in their rear, I pulled up to wait for 

 the explanation. 



z 



