A HISTORY OF SURREY 



ciation, and is better now than at any period 

 witJiin living memory. Owing to the ob- 

 structions across the smaller tributaries — 

 to which trout naturally go to breed — the 

 natural increase of trout in the Thames has 

 for some centuries been inconsiderable, but 

 for fifty years or more large sums of money 

 subscribed by the public have been spent in 

 stocking not only this portion but also the 

 upper reaches of the Thames with trout, with 

 the result that a good many splendid fish 

 are caught in the course of the season which 

 commences on i April. Trout of less than 

 i6 inches extreme length have to be returned 

 to the water under the admirable fishing 

 bye-laws. 



With regard to angling generally in the 

 Thames at the present day, it does not per- 

 haps compare favourably with what it was 

 half a century ago. This is in a large measure 

 owing to the steam traffic, which invariably 

 has a bad effect on a fishery, not only dis- 

 turbing and alarming fish, but destroying 

 their eggs and brood and injuriously affect- 

 ing the various kinds of food on which they 

 exist. Anglers too, have increased a hundred- 

 fold during the last twenty years or so, and the 

 open waters near London are more heavily 

 fished than any others in the United King- 

 dom. 



Among the principal fishing stations on 

 the Thames in Surrey are Chertsey, Walton 

 (long famous for its bream fishing and more 

 particularly in a deep pool a little below the 

 bridge), Sunbury Weir (one of the best 

 spots for Thames trout in the Surrey por- 

 tion of the river), and Molesey Weir, also 

 a favourite place for trout fishers. Penton 

 Hook and Chertsey are on the opposite side 

 of the river, but must be menUoned, as in 

 the neighbourhood of these places the 

 trout fishing is some of the best in this 

 portion of the Thames. Near Molesey a 

 great many barbel are caught in favourable 

 seasons. It is a peculiarity of the Thames 

 barbel that it feeds much more eagerly in the 

 lower reaches of the river than in Berkshire, 

 Oxfordshire, and Buckinghamshire. There are, 

 indeed, some weir-pools on the upper Thames 

 where the barbel can be plainly seen, yet are 

 hardly ever captured. 



Near Molesey and Hampton Court the 

 river Mole, which flovre across the county, 

 enters the Thames, and of this particular 

 stream a word must be said presently. Passing 

 dovra the river, we come next to Thames 

 Ditton, Surbiton, and Kingston. From 

 Molesey down to Teddington— an im- 

 portant reach— the river is for the most part 

 of considerable depth, holding some heavy 



fish which would be more often caught were 

 the navigation less. At Teddington Lock 

 there used to be an important lampem fishery, 

 but this is not now carried on to any extent. 

 Below Teddington the river swarms with 

 dace, which may be caught with the fly or 

 with float tackle. Other freshwater fish are 

 comparatively scarce, but we constantly hear 

 of smelts ascending from the sea and being 

 caught in this portion of the tideway. If 

 these delicate fish can make the ascent of the 

 polluted portions of the Thames estuary, 

 it is difficult to understand why salmon and 

 sea trout should not also ascend. 



For some years now there has been in 

 existence a Thames Salmon Association, of 

 which the most active members are the 

 chairman, Mr. W. H. Grenfell, M.P., and 

 Mr. Crosbie Gilbey, who, as an amateur fish- 

 culturist, has hatched out at Denham near 

 Colne many thousands of salmon eggs for 

 the Association. A few thousand young 

 salmon varying from one to two years of age 

 have been turned in from time to time during 

 the last three or four years, but no results 

 have as yet been obvious, and it may very well 

 be that the experiment has not been carried 

 out on a sufficient scale to test the question. 

 In Germany it is believed from observations 

 made on the Weser, a river where there 

 is said to be no natural increase of salmon, 

 that of the young salmon turned in aged 

 about four or five months, only three in a 

 thousand returned to the river after their mi- 

 gration to the sea. Assuming this calcula- 

 tion to be correct, if the Thames Salmon 

 Association turned in 6,000 samlets only 

 about eighteen could reasonably be expected 

 to return. It would be very possible to have 

 eighteen grilse in the Thames without any- 

 body being the wiser. 



Before leaving the Thames for the other 

 angling waters of Surrey, there are one or 

 two points which may be lightly touched 

 upon. The word ' Teddington ' is usually 

 supposed to be derived from the word ' tide- 

 end-town,' for here it is, since the weir was 

 erected, that the tide ends, though the 

 upward flow of water is now checked by 

 the comparatively modern half-tidal lock 

 erected at Richmond. Mr. Lysons, how- 

 ever, has pointed out that for long after 

 the name first occurs the place is called 

 in all records ' Totyngton.' There seems 

 no doubt, indeed, that many centuries 

 ago when there was no weir at Teddington 

 the tide ascended to a considerable dis- 

 tance, and may even have backed up the 

 water and made its influence felt at 

 Maidenhead. At that period the character 



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