WEST AND SOUTH-WEST COUNTIES 203 



its banks, which is sixty -five miles from London. 

 Many of its sections are preserved, and it requires 

 interest and money to gain access to them. The higher 

 you ascend the Kennet the better is the fly-fishing, and 

 less restricted are its streams. After rains, trolling is 

 very successful. 



The Loddon is of little repute, except for bottom- 

 fishing ; and the Lamborne has only a small sprinkling 

 of trout. 



A trip to Herefordshire yfill secure a fair share of 

 sport. The chief rivers are the Wye, the Lugg, the 

 Monnow, the Arrow, the Frame, and the Teme. The 

 first-named stream is abundantly stocked with almost all 

 kinds of fish. Beautiful salmon, salmon-pinks, trout, 

 grayling, and a few pike, perch, and dace. There are 

 many angling stations on its banks; but the best fly 

 districts of the stream lie between Hay and Builth. 

 Some of the anglers who frequent the river afiirm that 

 they have occasionally taken with the rod one hundred 

 pounds weight of salmon with the fly, exclusive of a 

 fair proportion of good trout. But these exploits are 

 not always to be implicitly relied on. Unquestionably 

 the Wye stands high in piscatory repute, and an 

 excursion along its banks cannot fail to prove a rich 

 treat to any rod-fisher. The scenery in some parts of 

 the river is beautiful. 



The other rivers of the county we have just enumer- 

 ated partake very much of the same character with the 

 Wye and tributaries to it. The rod-fishing is good, but 

 some considerable sections of these waters are preserved, 

 a circumstance which greatly impedes the movements 

 and sours the temper of the tourist, when he has come 

 from a distance on a random sort of visit. 



The fishahle rivers in Oxfordshire are the TJiames, the 

 Isis, the Windrush, the Evenlode, and the GherweU. 

 Father Thames becomes in this locality a more manage- 

 able stream for the rod, and he yields capital sport 

 when the waters are in full order. The Isis, which 

 forms an integral part of this famous river, springs out 

 of the parish of Coates in Gloucestershire, It is of 



