42 



certainly no water within thirty miles of London 

 where so many trouts are to "be caught. Higher up 

 the Colne, in the neighbourhood of Bickmans worth, 

 is a subscription water, which affords tolerably good 

 fly-fishing; but the trouts are not so large there as in 

 the lower part of the stream. 



THE WANDLE. 



A small stream, which contributes to form the 

 Wandle, at Carshalton, runs through Croydon; and in 

 a pond at Waddon-mill head, about a mile below that 

 town, are some large trout; but though the angler should 

 get leave to fish for them, it would be but waste of 

 time to make the attempt, as they are only to be 

 caught by netting or with night-lines. They are too 

 full-fed, probably with the small worms from the 

 mud generated by the offscourings of Croydon, and 

 too shy, to take anything that the angler has to 

 offer them in daylight. We were standing one May 

 morning, by the bank a little below the mill, con- 

 jecturing if there might be a trout in the water which 

 runs from the mill-tail, and were preparing our 

 tackle, for the purpose of ascertaining the fact, when 

 a miller came up, of whom we made enquiry. " 

 yes," was his answer, " there are trouts in this water, 

 two or three; and for this last fortnight ever so 

 many people have been here from Croydon, trying 



