123 ANGLING. 



cences on the mind of the tourist. Smallish flies and fine tackle 

 are required, particularly when the rivers are low, and there is 

 little wind. Small spider-flies are, in some streams, great favourites 

 with the local sportsmen of the district; the only drawback to 

 their use is, that we lose many of the fish from the < very slender 

 hold such hooks have on their mouth. Some sections of these 

 waters are preserved. 



The various rivers 9f Somersetshire and Warwickshire afford 

 good angling both with fly^ and the minnow. The Avon runs 

 through both counties, and is one hundred miles in length, and 

 presents to the sportsman a considerable variety of waters some 

 for bottom-fishing and some for fly. It has likewise many tribu- 

 taries : the Swift : , the Sow, the Learn, the Dene, the Stour, and the 

 Arrow. In the higher localities of the main river from Milverton 

 to Bieton, or Woolston the fly-fishing, in the early portion of the 

 season, is very excellent. There are likewise many fish, though 

 small, in the feeders just named; ^and the country by their banks 

 is often very beautiful and imposing. The Avon is navigable to 

 Bath ; above tins city it receives the waters of the Frome, and 

 Midford Brook, and likewise a stream called Chew, at Keynshaw. 

 There are likewise other small rivers in Somersetshire which afford 

 trouting sport. The Yow, or Yeo, springs out of the slopes of the 

 Mendip Hills, and has a run of about fourteen miles. The Brue 

 comes from the chalk-marl hills on the border of the county, 

 and after flowing through an interesting part of the country for the 

 distance of thirty miles ? enters the estuary of the Parret. This 

 water is full fifty miles in length, and has several feeders in which 

 there is fair fly-fishing. The Isle and the Gary are the best reputed 

 of these; indeed, the numerous waters of these two counties 

 present a wide field to the rod-fisher, and will be found exten- 

 sive enough to employ him for some weeks to do all their streams 

 anything like justice. 



ANGLING RIVERS AND LAKES IN WALES. 



Having now given as extended an account of the fishing localities 

 of England as our limits will permit, we shall direct the rod-fisher 

 to another choice district for the prosecution of his amusement, 

 namely, WALES. This is a first-rate fly-fishing country, both for 

 the salmon and trout; and it is now brought, by the modern 

 facilities of travelling, to within a few hours of the British metro- 

 polis. 



Wales has been celebrated for hundreds of years for its fishing 

 resources. Li its history and early literature, we have often direct 

 allusions made to the subject. We find Taliesin, one of the^Welsh. 

 bards, who flourished about the sixth century, mentioning an 

 incident of his having been found by one of the fugitive princes in 

 a salmon weir ; and descants at some length on the singularity of 



