THAMES TROUT. 195 



Thames trouting is simply a guide to the position 

 of the bait and nothing more ; it is not used to 

 show a bite, or, as it is called in trouting, '' a run." 

 As a rule, only " known " fish are tried for in the 

 open water, that is, the river proper, not weir 

 water ; and a " chuck and chance it " method will, 

 except by great luck, only lead to poor results. 

 Any one fishing a new part of the river that he 

 knows nothing about may run his bait over a fish 

 that is well known to local anglers, and secure him ; 

 but the usual process in the open stream is to find 

 a trout and carefully fish for it. According to the 

 riverside tales one hears, Thames trout would 

 appear to feed invariably just opposite a waterside 

 inn. I have been told of fish scores of times, and 

 nine out of ten of the localities indicated are those 

 in the immediate neighbourhood of which beer is 

 to be obtained. My advice is : find your fish your- 

 self, and make sure you are fishing for a trout, and 

 not for some leaping barbel. Having found a good 

 fish, and decided to livebait for him, stop the punt 

 some distance above his feeding-place (if he cannot 

 be fished over from the bank), and work the bait 

 over, or beyond and up to, the spot. The punt 

 must be stopped entirely, by weight, rypeck, or 

 other assistance ; if you or your attendant move the 

 punt or boat, and by such movement draw the 

 bait over the fish, the method , immediately con- 

 stitutes trailing, which is illegal. A trout that has 

 been hard fished knows a thing or two : he will 

 feed freely a few yards off your bait again and 

 again ; and when you try the new place, he 

 tantalises you by selecting a bleak from the old 

 one. He will perhaps refuse to shOw himself while 

 )*ou try patiently for him for hours together, and 



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