82 NOTES ON FISH AND FISHING. 



witness; and Charles Kingsley masterfully wielded the 

 rod. 



The still progressing popularity of fishing, to which I 

 have already alluded, may be gathered from the wonderful 

 increase in late years of Angling Societies in the metropolis 

 alone. Mr. E. Ghurney, the Secretary of the "Hoston Bro- 

 thers " and of the Central Committee of the " United London 

 Anglers," has most kindly furnished me with some infor- 

 mation on this point, from which I gather that there are at 

 the present time about eighty Angling Clubs or Societies 

 in the metropolitan districts, fifty-three of which are asso- 

 ciated together under the name of the " United London 

 Anglers," and pay social visits in rotation to the " Head 

 Centre." The fifty-three clubs have in round numbers 

 1700 members, and the other clubs 500, the very great 

 majority of whom are small shopkeepers, mechanics, and 

 " working " men. Of the same class there are at least 

 1000 regular anglers in the London districts who belong 

 to no clubs. Further it may be calculated that there are 

 500 more regular anglers who reside in the vicinity of the 

 Thames, the Lea, and other waters, say within twenty 

 miles of London. To these also may be added 1000 at 

 least of regular anglers, oi the "upper" classes, gentle- 

 men, merchants, and " large " shopkeepers. These added 

 together will give us, in round numbers, a grand total of 

 5000 persons who make angling their chief recreation in 

 a moderately circumscribed area of which London is the 

 centre. 



The Metropolitan Angling Clubs are a great feature in 

 the annals of modern fishing. But a few years ago they 

 might have been counted on the fingers of the two hands, 

 but now, as I have said, they have increased and multi- 



