THAMES TROUT. 



Will my readers kindly note that I do not, for 

 one moment, consider a Thames trout to be 



Reasons 



for in- a coarse fish ? My reason for including a 

 eluding chapter on Thames trout in this volume is 

 that the only methods we can employ with any 

 reasonable chance of success are those resorted to 

 for coarse fish; spinning and live-baiting are the chief, 

 while legering and paternostering are occasionally, 

 but very rarely, practised. The fly, alas, so seldom 

 kills large Thames trout that I must reluctantly 

 confess that it is almost waste of time to use it, 

 that is, the fly proper. Alexandras, Dusty Millers, 

 and the like, have been known to tempt a few large 

 fish, while I have no doubt the May-fly accounts for 

 one now and again, but chiefly in tributaries, and 

 not often in the Thames proper. Where Thames 

 trout have access to mill-pools that form the first 

 stoppage to fish proceeding up a tributary, I have 

 no doubt that they may be caught with the fly in 

 or below such pools ; but as many of these are 

 private fisheries and but little disturbed by boats, 

 launches and the many other annoyances that \'cx 

 the angler on the main river, the trouting can 

 hardly be considered Thames fishing pure and 



