A HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE 



the town, where coarse fish are persistently netted out for many miles, 

 though not entirely exterminated, the trout run smaller, are much more 

 numerous and rise rreely to the artificial fly. Trout are also found in the 

 upper portions of the Loddon, the Pang, the Cole, the Embourn and in the 

 Lambourn, a choice little trout stream which rises near the racing town 

 of that name and flows into the Kennet below Newbury. Of the so-called 

 coarse fish there is little to be said, except that the Thames still pro- 

 duces them in fairly large numbers, though there has been a very marked 

 decrease during the past fifteen years. In the Kennet, if we except jack 

 or pike and trout, the fish, owing doubtless to superior feeding, are more 

 portly in build and grow to a better average size than in the main river. 



TELEOSTEANS 



ACANTHOPTERYGII 



1. Perch. Perca fluviatilhy Linn. 



This is a common form in the Thames, 

 the lower Loddon, and in most of the ponds 

 or lakes, artificial or otherwise, in the county. 

 It used to be far more numerous in the 

 Thames than it is at present, and its decrease 

 is owing to the large number of swans, which, 

 when the perch deposit their eggs among the 

 waterweeds or on the roots of trees, feed on 

 them, destroying millions. Tame ducks, which 

 are allowed to go down to the river in the 

 spring, are almost equally destructive. The 

 perch of the Thames and tributaries are ex- 

 cellent fish as food when in their best season. 

 They do not appear to grow to such a large 

 size as was the case a quarter of a century ago, 

 when fish of 3 Ib. were frequently recorded. 

 Now it is not a common occurrence to catch 

 one of more than 2 Ib. in weight. The Ken- 

 net in particular used to be noted for very large 

 perch. One reason doubtless for the decrease 

 in size of these fish is the fact that much 

 sewage which formerly went into the river 

 is otherwise dealt with. 



2. Ruffe (Pope). Acerina cernua, Linn. 



A somewhat common fish in the upper 

 Thames and the lower portions of its tribu- 

 taries. 



3. Miller's Thumb (Bullhead). Cottus gobio y 



Linn. 



Are found under stones in the brooks 

 throughout the county and in all parts of the 

 Thames and tributary streams. 



HEMIBRANCHII 



4. Three-spined Stickleback. Gastrosteus 



aculeatus y Linn. 



This fish is very widely distributed in the 

 more stagnant portions of the streams and 



brooks of the county. It is destructive to the 

 fry of other fish. 



HAPLOMI 



5. Pike (Jack). Esox Indus, Linn. 



There are several private sheets of water in 

 the county containing quantities of these fish 

 which grow to a large size, while the Thames 

 every year yields specimens running up to, 

 and sometimes over, 20 Ib. Since a destruc- 

 tive method of angling known as ' trailing ' 

 has been abolished from the Thames, pike, 

 which were decreasing, appear to have be- 

 come more numerous, but they now run 

 somewhat small in size. The portion of the 

 Thames bordering this county probably con- 

 tains a larger number of fair sized pike than 

 any part of the river. 



OSTARIOPHYSI 



6. Carp. Cyprinus carpio, Linn. 



These fish are occasionally caught in the 

 Thames, which they probably reach in times 

 of flood from private ponds and lakes. They 

 have occasionally been found fairly numerous 

 in the neighbourhood of Shellingford. Carp 

 are too scarce in the river to be regularly 

 fished for ; their capture is invariably acci- 

 dental when anglers are seeking tench, chub 

 or roach. In private lakes, such as those in 

 Highclere Park, numbers of large carp are to 

 be found. 



7. Gudgeon. Gobio fluviatilis, Flem. 

 These delicate little fish are found in large 



quantities in the Thames, Kennet and Loddon, 

 and in not a few of the tributary brooks. It 

 used to be quite a common thing for anglers 

 in the upper Thames to catch as many as 

 twenty-two dozen in the day, but half that 

 bag is now considered satisfactory, and there 

 is no doubt that there are not half as many of 



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