236 MELTON AND HOMESPUN 



While watching the movements of the heron a sharp 

 tug at our trout hne betokens a " run " or " bite " of 

 some kind and striking smartly we hook our finny and 

 thrice welcome visitor. A very few moments' play, 

 however, suffices to tell us that whatever else the fish 

 may be it is certainly not a trout, for after making one 

 short rush down the weir pool he allows himself to be 

 reeled in without showing further fight. Very soon an 

 ill-conditioned pike of about two pounds weight is drawn 

 over the landing-net and then returned to its natural 

 element as expeditiously as possible. 



The water all round is clear as crystal, and while gazing 

 into the limpidness, we notice a cluster of small, eel-hke 

 creatures wriggling and squirming amongst some huge 

 boulders lying at the foot of the weir. 



It is a small shoal of very late lamperns, and one might 

 imagine that their heads were glued to the boulders. 

 Such is not the case, of course; but these queer looking 

 species of fish possess the faculty of adhering to stones 

 and other submerged bodies by means of their sucker- 

 like lips. 



Within comparatively recent 3^ears the catching of 

 lamperns at Teddington Weir in what were called " wheels 

 (a kind of ell-buck) formed quite an important industry 

 among the local professional fishermen. The fish were 

 used as bait by the long-liners of the North Sea and great 

 numbers were purchased by the Dutch fishermen who 

 were often to be seen in the streets of old Teddington, 

 garbed in the quaint and voluminous dress of their 

 native country. 



As many as 20,000 lamperns were frequently taken 

 during one tide at Teddington, the market price being 



