28 
THE FISHING GAZETTE 
[January 11«, 1803 
Corresponii^ncc 
[H> do not hold oureelces responsible for the opinions 
pj pressed hii our Correspondents.'] 
“ One of the charms of angling is that it jiresents an 
endless field for argument, speculation, and tieperi- 
ment.” — T. K. I’ltlTT. 
STKEL AS APPLIED TO RODS. 
Dkak Sir, —Any advance that can be made in 
the development of the jiower of tlie tly-rod 
cannot fail to be of intere.st to both anglers and 
manufacturers, and the contribution of “ A Scot ” 
in your last issue cannot 'well fail to have proved 
of the greatest interest to all your readers. The 
letter referred to is specially interesting to us 
because it explores a path that we have followed, 
we think, to the end. We have tested, years 
ago, methods almost identical with his of cutting 
the wood to accommodate straight lines of metal 
on the exterior of the rod, but our experience 
goes to prove that no plan of cutting the surface 
of cane or wood to insert steel would act satis¬ 
factorily. The plan w'e found to give the best 
results is that your correspondent criticises ; but 
as his on'y knowledge of our method of doubling 
the strength of a rod consists of a sight of a 
drawing (which latter, by the way, ive have never 
seen), his criticism is based on a very slender 
foundation. Your correspondent is right, how¬ 
ever, when he points out the superiority of a rod 
.strengthened by steel on the outside circum¬ 
ference. 
It was at the suggestion of a very eminent 
engineer that we first began to test methods of 
adding power by steel externally put on the rod, 
and our method has now stood the test of close 
on a year’s use in the hands of many anglers—on 
old rods and new—and without a single case of 
failure in any shape or form to our knowledge. 
The steel does not move when rod is in u.se in 
either of the two methods we have adopted of 
putting on the steel. 
We introduced steel centres, but we have no 
hesitation in saying that the steel bindings add 
more strength, and, further, that a bound or 
ribbed-steel centred rod is the most powerful rod 
3 ’et built. Length for length, weight for w^eight, 
it eclipses all that has been hitherto achieved in 
power and stiffness, and therefore casting capa- 
Inlities at the weight—which, in the case of a 
cane-built, averages less than an ounce per foot 
in the case of trout-rods. A full patent has been 
applied for by us for the steel-bound or rilibed 
processes. The steel centre, unfortunately, was 
not patented on its introduction. Signed and 
stam]ied engineers’ tests proved the latest 
advance in rod-building to be the greatest stride 
j'et made, especially on the score of power, for 
they prove the addition of half an ounce of steel 
practically doubles the strength of the rod. We 
instance the case of a cane-built middle joint of a 
small trout-rod, which broke at 7|lb. without the 
steel binding, and a similar joint with the external 
steel that stood I Ijlb.! This is one of the tests of 
engineers at the Sheffield Testing Works. Thank¬ 
ing you in anticipation, yours, &c , 
1). and W. n. Foster. 
LOFGII ENNEL, IRELAND. 
Sir, —I read with great interest the paper on 
“Recollections of Fishing in 1 reland,’’by “L.S.G.”, 
in your valuable journal of the 7th inst., and can 
bear out all he says as to the splendid sport to 
be had on Ijough Ennel or Belvedere, in the 
county of W'estmeath, during the May Fly Season, 
and no doulit splendid sport could be obtained at 
other seasons if the lough was fished, but the 
three famous Westmeath loughs are practically 
nnfished, excejit during the Majlly season. 
1 should, however, like to know in what ]>art 
of Lough Ennel he had the tiisslewith thesa’nior. 
1 have fished these loughs several jears, but 
I never heard the Irish gillies mention having 
seen or heard of a salmon in either of the West¬ 
meath loughs. I know salmon are taken on 
Melvin and Lough Erne, and many other noted 
loughs, but I do not know how the}' could get 
into Ennel. 
I am simply asking for information, which I 
feel sure “ L. S. G.” will be glad to give.—I am, 
dear sir, yours, Ac. W.m. Thom.as. 
Fly Fi,-.hers’ Club. 
THE PROPOSED THAMES BYE-LAWS. 
De.\r Sir, —Kindly allow me to make a sug¬ 
gestion to the various London societies who are 
now protesting against the new Thames Fishery 
Bye-laws. Let them take every station on the 
Thames, invite two practical Thames anglers, one 
professional, one amateur, pay their expenses to 
London, and get their opinion. What ought to 
have been protested against long ago was the 
appointment of a member of the Severn Board of 
(-onservators to draft bye-laws for the Thames. 
Why not have selected a Thames man of ex¬ 
perienced There are plenty high in the legal 
profession, and well up in all matters appertaining 
to the Thames. B. R. Bam bridge. 
Eton. - 
THAME.S ANGLING REPORTS. 
Sir, —It would be impossible for me or anyone 
else to see every take of fish daily as reported, 
which your correspondent appears to suggest, 
but, limiting the area to the place he is dealing 
with, I can answer his question best by saying 
from what I know personally of Mr. Clarke, of 
Sunbury, and he is an cld friend, I have every 
reason to believe the takes reported hy him are 
what the anglers take away with them after their 
day's sport, and of sizeable fish. The head river 
keeper is constantly examining the takes at 
different places as they come in and he has never 
yet reported one offence. I am careful in getting 
truthful reports from those whom I have the same 
confidence in as Mr. Clarke, and, in addition, he 
is, and for years has been, a subscribing member 
of the T.A.P.S, and in my experience of over 
one third of a century I have always found those 
who complain are not in that position, fi’he 
question of the competition in one day is no 
criterion of what has been done in the other six. 
My experience has also been that competition 
days are generally unfortunate days in angling, 
and in my opinion it is the charm of fishing that 
anglers are not always successful, if they were, 
they would get tired of always catching fish. IL 
every take of fish reported had to be examined 
and tested each day it would be an incessant 
work and labour of itself, and I consider where 
there is perfect confidence in the fisherman 
and you believe him to be accurate, it is the 
best source in over twenty miles of river of 
supplying the information anglers require.— 
Yours, &c., B. 
[This answ'ers our question plainly enough, and 
W'e wanted it answered because we have often heard 
it said that the reports sent by the professional 
fishermen to the papers are mostly lies sent to in¬ 
duce anglers to go to fish. We ore glad to have 
“ B’s ’’ assurance that it is not so in the case of 
the 'I’haraes. As we have often said, we will at 
once stop any reporter w'ho is proved to be lying, 
but it is most difficult to deal with general 
charges in which no particulars are given. We 
wish to be just to our reporters, W'e believe them 
to be honest.— Ed ] _ 
A CURIOUS CARP DISEASE. 
Sir, —Will you explain through your paper, the 
Fishing Gazette, the following: I have a(juantity 
of carp, about four to five inches long, for pike 
bait. They have kept well till within the last few 
weeks. I have had them for five or six months, 
and now all the sc<ales stand out and fall off with 
the least touch. Is there any remedy, as they 
are dying gradually s' I have been a subscriber 
to your paper for the last six or seven years.— 
Yours truly. Fizzled. 
Bolton-le-Moors. 
[We think that the fish are being poisoned in 
some Avay, either by the water, or by the receptacle 
they are kept in. We do not remember hearing 
of fish losing their scales in this way before. 
Some of the diseases which attack fish kept in 
confinement, are very mysterious. We should like 
to know if any of our readers have had exjierience 
similar to “ Puzzled.’’— Ed.] 
OTTER QUERIES. 
Sir, —Will one of your readers kindly inform 
me in your next issue what is about the outside 
limit of weight to which an otter can grow. 
Also how to distinguish an otter track in deep 
snow from that of other vermin ? Would not an 
otter destroy its own weight in fish during a 
week.®—Yours truly, H. G. 
Tonbridge, Kent. 
A “MARINE HARE.” 
Sir, —Having noticed some time ago a commu¬ 
nication in the Yorkshire Weekly Post from Mr. 
Wotfindin klaw, of Bedford, relative to the inci¬ 
dent of a swimming hare, an experience gathered 
whilst fishing (with Dr. Wood, of Middleton) 
near Ijowthorpe, last Sejitember, 1, being in¬ 
terested from a natural history point of view, 
wrote to the Morning Post and other London 
papers to ascertain whether the anecdote was 
unusual or otherwise. .My letters were the means 
of a correspondence on the subject, both public 
and private. From amongst the latter I wish to 
encroach upon your columns, in order to narrate 
the following account of a “ marine hare,” for 
which 1 am indebted to a Colchester correspon¬ 
dent, who states that some two years ago, when 
walking along the beach at Felixstowe, near 
Languard Point, Essex, where are adjacent wide 
stretches of flat ground and marshes, lie observed 
something most curious about a hundred yards 
from the shore. This turned out to be the head 
and ears of a fine hare, w'hich struck out in a 
determined manner against the w'aves, and 
eventually gained its feet on the beach. ^ly 
informant considers that, so far as he can re¬ 
member, ten minutes elapsed from the time of 
his first seeing that which arrested his attention 
until he discovered that its anatomical whole was 
no other than the animal to which reference has 
been made. From the opinions which have come 
under my notice, I rather lean to the idea thaL 
unless pursued or apprehensive of some danger, 
hares are not in the habit of taking to the water, 
although, as in other matters, there is no hard 
and fast rule w’ithout its exception; for they 
undoubtedly, in the most voluntary manner, do 
occasionally imitate known aquatic quadrupeds. 
—Yours, Ac, 11. W. Tiiori'e- Wood. 
Middleton-on-the-Wolds, East Yorkshire. 
CRAYFISHING WANTED. 
Sir, —Could any of your readers inform me 
where I would be likely to get crayfishing within 
twenty miles of London, i am a new subscriber 
to your Gazette, and being an ardent rodster, 
feel sorry I have not taken your paper sooner, as 
it is excellent reading. If any back number gives 
any article or information as to crayfish, how, 
when, and where to get them, I should be greatly 
pleased to get it. By-the-bye, Sir, I notice in the 
current issue of the Gazette, page bll, middle 
column, your correspondent states that '2-70 dobs, 
is the fare for thirty-eight miles—from Sherbrook 
to Antigonish. Is this an error or a fact? If a 
fact, I am afraid few anglers W'ill be able to enjoy 
the trip he so graphically details.—Yours respect¬ 
fully, F. J. White. 
20, Studland-street, Hammersmith, W. 
[Perhaps “ Rux ” could answer this.— Ed ] 
IS THERE ANY PISHING IN MADEIRA? 
Dear Sir, —Can you, or any of your readers 
inform me if there is any fishing to be had at 
Madeira? I am about spending a few weeks 
there very shortly, and any information on the 
subject would be gra'.efully received. — Yours 
obediently, 'Tiios. Bowker. 
South Kensington. 
[We have examined two recent books on 
Madeira, but there is no mention of fi.shing. We 
should certainly take rods and tackle for sea 
fishing.— Ed. _ 
“ WAT E R PRC () F I N G L1 N ES.” 
Dear Sir,— I find that the cheapest and 
cleanest material for the above jmrpose is a pic -o 
of the ordinary clarified composite c indie, ('iit 
off about an inch of candle, bold it in the hand 
a minute oi- so and it will soften, then draw the 
line through twice, much as a shoemaker does 
his wax ends. 
'I'he line 1 use is of the finest ])laitcd silk, and 
after being tiiated as here slated, will float 
during a wliole day’s fishing. 
'The line, should be dried every night after being 
used, and again treated wilh tfie “composite.” 
One candle costing .Id. will last six months, 
and as there is not the faintest suspicion of grease 
to injure the gut, a small lump can be carried in 
the bag so as to be handy.—Yours faithfully, 
Castelnau, Barnes, S.W. W. H. Elsmore. 
