WHERE TO FISH. 101 



There is another good piece of fishing above 

 Axminster, a rod on which can, I believe, be 

 obtained for three guineas a season, where 

 excellent trout are obtained on June evenings. 

 On all the lower reaches of the Axe sea trout 

 or peal are taken after July, and although I 

 have never caught any of much over a pound, 

 other anglers have had a far better experience. 

 Salmon of good size run up the Axe freely; 

 but that is another matter altogether. 



From those who have been fortunate enough 

 to obtain a day or two on the Shute stream, I 

 have heard good accounts. It is really a tiny 

 brook, with a few open pools and a dam, which 

 winds down through hilly meadows from the 

 high ground under which the Honiton tunnel 

 has its boring. Many a Sunday evening in 

 summer have I walked along it to watch the 

 trout rising in the small pools from behind a 

 screen of willows. They must give pretty sport 

 with an eight foot rod, as they apparently run 

 to a better size than the average on the Estate 

 water. 



Although glorious Devon begins between Chard 

 Road and Axminster, I always feel that the 

 centre of the Honiton tunnel is the real gateway. 

 The train, even with its most powerful engine- 

 it used to be two pants and groans up the 

 incline past almost deserted orchards, so old that 

 most of the trees stand on crutches; past swampy 

 copses and meadows starred with primroses, 

 marsh-marigolds, and daffodils; past a cottage 

 close to the line, guarded by giant sows, where 



