SELECTION OF A WATER 313 



fight it must be a case of war to the knife and no 

 quarter. 



If the water has been let before, it is always well 



to communicate with the pre- 

 Advice to communicate vious tenant and obtain from 

 with previous tenant. him all available information 



in reference to his sport, the 

 average size of the trout, their condition, and any- 

 other particulars of the fishery. It is better, if 

 possible, to have a personal interview, because we 

 are all prone to being careful and even reticent when 

 reducing our opinions to writing. At the same time 

 the intending lessee should learn what he can as to 

 the accessibility of the water, the accommodation to be 

 obtained, and if he has any idea of letting his wife 

 and children spend part of their holidays with him 

 at the river-side, he must ascertain whether it is a 

 healthy and bracing place. Many of the valleys 

 through which our chalk-streams flow are very re- 

 laxing and quite unfit for children who require good 

 and bracing air. 



Many landowners object to letting their fishing 



for a term of years, and insist 

 Tenure. on the agreement being one 



from year to year. Their 

 view of the question is that when once the tenant has 

 a lease the control of the water passes out of their 

 hands, and to some extent one can sympathize with 

 them. Cases are not infrequent of so-called sports- 

 men taking a fishery on lease and proceeding to let 



