84 NOTES ON FISH AND FISHING. 



generally gets them up and provides the prizes, con- 

 trives to lose nothing by his enterprise. The intense 

 interest these contests excite, and the number "of com- 

 petitors who join in them, must be astonishing to those who 

 are not acquainted with this modern feature of Angling. 

 Not very long ago in the " North Midlands," a liberal host 

 offered six prizes ranging from 241. to 41. to be fished for, 

 and his friends provided 170 "additional" ones. The com- 

 petitors, who had to pay 3s. 6d. entrance each, numbered 

 no less than 500, and they were stationed at twelve yards 

 apart, the line thus occupying a distance along the water- 

 side of three miles and a half. The day being a suitable 

 one for fishing, the aggregate of fish taken was very 

 large, the winner of the first prize scoring 19 lbs. 1^ oz. 

 " The arrangement was most complete," says the histo- 

 rian, " and everything passed off most satisfactorily " — a 

 fact to be noted, as showing consummate generalship 

 on the part of the managers, and an exceeding amount of 

 good fellowship and " charity " on the part of the con- 

 testant anglers. Still more recently on the Lea, 276 

 anglers entered for a great roach match, and the day 

 being unfavourable, the winner got the first prize of 40Z. 

 with 13| oz. of fish, which on that particular day were 

 thus worth almost their weight in gold. Matches also 

 between two anglers are now of common occurrence, 

 and these often for very large sums. I remember not 

 long ago seeing a challenge from one first-rate hand to 

 another, to a contest of skill for 100Z. a side. Whether 

 these contests conduce to the good of " the craft " is 

 another question ; they certainly show the keenness with 

 which angling is now pursued. That betting should take 

 place on these occasions is only what might be expected, as 



