22 
THE EISHING GAZETTE 
[Jantjary 14, 1893 
the Spey—that it was part of my holding. I am 
lately come to reside at Tommiebeg; I admit 
that my keeper did tell me the fishing was let to 
another, but the factor, Jlr. M’Snail-■” “ Is 
a rery sharp practitioner,” put in the other. 
“ And so he told you you were to have the fish¬ 
ing, eh P Now, 1 assure j'ou, I have rented this 
water tor many years.” 
Brixey said all that could be said in such a 
case, for he felt how much he had been in fault. 
There was no mistaking the sincerity of his 
regret; it was evident he had been under a wrong 
impression, and the real owner of the fishing was 
so good-natured about it, and made so light of the 
affair, that he was soon put at his ease. 
“ Let me know, now, whose acquaintance 1 have 
had the pleasure of making in consequence of 
this mistake,” said the gentleman. “ I suppose I 
ought to introduce myself ; my name is Malvern 
—Lord Malvern, at your ser%'ice.” 
Brixey told his name, and would again have 
entered into new apologies, but he was stopped 
short by Lord Malvern’s assuring him that he 
considered himself fortunate in thus making his 
acquaintance. It was a matter of gratulation 
to himself the having <a good neighbour at Tom¬ 
miebeg. lie went on to say that he was but little 
at his fishing-box at this season; he came down 
usually about the end of June for a month or so. 
lie had been lately down at Fochabers, and had 
come back for a day or two’s fishing, after which 
he was going into Ross-shire. He hoped Brixey 
would consider the river his own for the re¬ 
mainder of the season, and congratulated him 
on his having killed so fine a fish. 
‘‘ Weigh that fish, Donald, and give it to Mr. 
Brixey’s man. Fifteen—ah ! I thought that was 
about its weight. I assure you, Mr. Brixey, we 
old fishermen do not often see a better fish in 
these upper waters. I congratulate you on better 
sport. You are not—I think I may say it—a 
very experienced salmon fisher? ” 
‘‘That is the first salmon I ever caught, or, 
indeed, ever tried for, my lord. I am only sorry 
it did not fall to your lot. If you will allow me 
to see your lordship catch another, I shall take it 
as a great favour, and shall moreover learn some¬ 
thing of the art.” 
THE DESTRUCTION OF THE 
THAMES FISHERIES. 
Sir, —I am directed by the committee of the 
llenley-on-Thames and District Fishery Preserva¬ 
tion Association to forward to you a copy of the 
subjoined resolutions.—Yours obediently, 
C. H. Cook, lion. Sec. 
Ilenloy-on-Thames, Jan. 10, 1893. 
Resolved : ‘‘ That we unanimously protest 
most strongly against the proposal made by the 
Thames Conservators, to allow any person claim¬ 
ing a private right of fishing to use nets of 
smaller mesh than are now legal in the Thames, 
and without obtaining the licence which is now 
requisite under the present bye-laws. We believe 
that the alteration in the law proposed would, if 
carried into effect, bring about the ruin of the 
Thames fisheries, which liave for years been pre¬ 
served, stocked with trout and other fish, and 
cared for by means of funds raised by public 
subscriptions. We believe that the proposed 
alterations in the bye-laws would lead in time to 
an immense amount of netting being carried on 
by millers, and persons some of whom possess 
only a few yards of river frontage, and that the 
advantages to the riparian owners generally would 
be nil, while the value of their fishery rights 
would be seriously affected in consequence. So 
strongly do we feel the gravity of the situation 
that we hereby resolve to assist the Reading and 
other associations of anglers and ])ersons in¬ 
terested in opposing the passing of the proposed 
bye-laws by the Judicial Committee of the Privy 
('ouncil; but we trust that in the interests of 
Thames fishery preservation, of the angling public, 
and of owners of fisheries, that the conservators 
will withdraw the proposed bye-law, and render 
such opposition unnecessary. We further regret 
that so few of the recommendations of expert 
Thames anglers and fishery associations, which 
were invited by the conservators, have been 
adopted, more particularly that relating to the 
prevention of injury to the spawn and brood of 
fish by the steam traffic, the lajung of night lines 
for eels during the fence months for coarse fish, 
which recommendations we regard as being 
of the first importance; and we protest strongly 
against the proposed alteration to 'oye-law 13, by 
which the conservators would place considerable 
difficulties in the way of fish culture in the 
Thames Valley.” 
Resolved : ” That no more trout or trout ova 
be purchased for the district until a decision has 
been arrived at concerning the proposed bye-law 
allowing unlicenced netting in the Upper 
Thames.” 
Resolved : “ That the foregoing resolutions be 
communicated to the conservators and the press.” 
ANGLING IN KENT. 
(Continued from p. 12.) 
By tue 0. 0. D. 
A LIVELY SCENE. 
One glorious day last November, with a bril¬ 
liant sun, snowy clouds, pleasant breez;es, rising 
trout, and clouds of black midges circling under 
the trees—a day when Dame Nature, in one of her 
very best moods, says as plainly as possible, ‘‘ See 
what I can do when I have a mind ”—I was walk¬ 
ing along the bank of a well-known river, shallow, 
limpid, narrow, but extremely winding and 
picturesque withal, when, to my surprise, I came 
upon a veritable Father Christmas (nicknamed 
the Doctor) playing a large jack in a pool and 
bawling with all his might to a singularly sleek, 
spruce, clean shaven, dapper little man, to “ seize 
him at the back of the gills ! ” ‘‘ There he is, and 
done for at last; ” but the old greybeard might 
just as well have requested his friend to seize a 
lighted bombshell, for I could hear the reply across 
the water as distinctly as possible, “ Yes, there 
he is, and there let him remain ; ” but the Doctor 
as usual was wrong, for the jack, being held by a 
single hook, made a splendid burst up-stream, to 
reach a very dangerous hiding place near the 
apron of the weir, but putting on a pressure that 
evidently tried his rod to the uttermost, the old 
gent, managed to turn his fish, and bring him once 
more within easy reach of the little man, repeat¬ 
ing his original request re the gill business ; but 
unfortunately for the so-called man of medicine, 
at this juncture the jack ojrened liis terrible 
mouth to its very widest capacity, savagely shook 
his head, his gills for the moment gleaming like 
chains of coral in the white mouth, whilst his 
glaring and cruel-looking eyes put such a damper 
ou the courage of the Doctor’s companion that he 
declared that he would not touch such a shark 
for twenty pounds, and I’ll be hanged if I think 
he would. ‘‘ He cannot hurt you ! ” roared the 
Doctor. ‘‘Not if I know it.” The dapper little 
man was evidently possessed with the idea that 
the moment he attempted to seize the pike as 
directed, the pike would fly at him and bite 
him like a dog, and his closely shaven, usually 
pleasant-looking ‘‘phiz.” was as white as chalk, 
and he looked as doleful as a Guy Fawkes on 
the 5th in a heavy shower of rain. The jack, 
taking advantage of this contretemps, rushed 
down stream, and tried with all his might to 
reach a mass of weeds which had accumulated 
at the tail of the pool; but the Doctor was one 
too many for him, and, turning his fish just 
in time, brought him to the side completely 
exhausted, and, without more ado, put on the 
check, shoved his rod into the hands of his friend, 
seized the jack firmly at the back of the gills 
and carried the fish up the bank—a handsome, 
beautifully-shaped, lovely mottled female, in 
splendid condition, scaling just over lllb.; and 
in a moment, as if by magic, away went the 
chalk, the gloom, and fixed melancholy from the 
face of the little man, and he was as happy 
as the proverbial sandboy. I must say I could 
never understand why they nicknamed this 
person the Doctor, for he is as much like a 
doctor as the Chancellor of the Exchequer is 
like Jim Baggs in ‘‘The Wandering Minstrel.” 
I wonder if the Duke and wily Oriental are still 
alive ? 
SKULLS AND BONES. 
Saturday, Dec. 3, was as detestable as Dec. 2 was 
glorious; with a lovely mackerel sky, warm sun, and 
delightful west wind. It rained in torrents, blew 
great guns, and about half-way between the charm¬ 
ing towns of Sandgate and Hythe dashed the 
spray right on the parade. The magnificent Sea- 
brook Hotel (where every accommodation can be 
obtained by visitors to Hythe and neighbour¬ 
hood) looked as deserted and dreary as a gipsy 
tent in a thunderstorm, and, far as the eye 
could reach tfiere was not a soul to be seen 
along the beach, and nothing to be heard but the 
howling wind, the pelting rain, and the everlasting 
thudding of the heavy curling waves on the 
desolate shore. 
I should have remained ignorant about the 
spray had not the good dame who shows visitors 
the splendid collection of bones and skulls 
in the crypt of the fine cathedral-looking parish 
church of Hythe (I mean the church built on the 
slope of the hill), drew my attention to it, she 
remarking, ‘‘ By that I know that it is high tide.” 
I I’eplied, “I can plainly hear the roaring of the 
sea, but I cannot see the spray.” 
The moment one enters the crypt there are 
about 600 skulls arranged on shelves on either 
side like loaves on the shelves in a baker’s shop, 
most of which are in a splendid state of preserva¬ 
tion, the teeth of some being very much to the/ore. 
A good many skulls are scattered about on 
the top of the huge stack of bones, and there 
seems to be a great diversity of opinion amongst 
historians with respect to the tribes to whom 
these bones belonged—Danes, Saxons, Britons, 
French, Romans, .and even several Lapps. One 
very clever man says that they must have be¬ 
longed to three peoples or tribes, because some 
are round, some s([uare-shaped, whilst others 
again are elongated. The two kept on the little 
table by the visitor’s book are much smoother, 
far more glossy, and yellower than the others, 
from being constantly handled. Many show clean, 
clear cuts about Uin- iu length, and about a 
Un. in breadth, apparently accomplished with 
one teriffic blow, whilst others are terribly in¬ 
dented and bruised. The stack is about 25ft. in 
length, 73ft. in height, and about 7ft. in breadth, 
supposed to represent I do not know how many 
of our progenitors slain in battle a.d. 456. A 
remarkably interesting collection. If some of 
these fine old warriors could come to life, I 
w'onder what they w'ould think of things in 
general, and modern warfare in particular ? 
THE GARPENrER’S ARMS—SWIMS. 
This commodious inn is kept by Mr. Morgan, 
and is situated in a secluded .and most picturesque 
locality near the Hythe Canal, and not far from 
the West Hythe Bridge, at the foot of the Roughs 
(or Ruffs). Good accommodation can be ob¬ 
tained here, and it will be found most convenient 
to those anglers who prefer fishing in this portion 
of the Royal Military Canal. Between this point 
and the dam nearer to Romney Marshes, where 
the preserved portion of the canal ends, is reckoned 
one of the best places for jack, and about a mile 
above this bridge, towards the town of Hythe, good 
jack are frequently met with; and the fourth 
angle from Hythe is a good place for tench, on the 
towing path side; and the fifth angle, situated 
near the Carpenter’s Arms, is another capital 
place for the same fish, on the same side of the 
canal as the inn. The third bend, again, is 
another well-known swim, being beautifully 
sheltered from the winds, and one of the most 
charming spots on the canal. The low-lying 
marshes stretching to the beach in front; the lofty 
range of hills in the rear, and the well-wooded 
heights of Lympne Church and Castle standing in 
bold relief on the distant heights, and called 
“ the ruined city on the hill; ” the grand grassj' 
slopes, dotted with trees, with here and there a 
clump of fine old thorns, blood-red with berries, 
with innumerable sheep quietly grazing; the ruins 
of Studfall Castle to the right, and the tree-sheltered 
canal, form a landscape, if not quite so classical 
as the one to be seen from the summer-house ou 
Beachborough Hill, is still, once seen, not soon 
forgotten. A grand view from this hill can 
be seen of Romney Marshes, with Dungeness 
Lighthouse in the distance, and where one can 
now walk dryshod in the footprints of the ocean, 
far back in the remote past swept the sounding 
sea, and bore upon its restless waves the Roman 
galleys. In short, taking it altogether, from the 
town of Hythe right away to Romney Marshes, I 
should think it is one of the most (if not the most) 
picturesque canals in the kingdom, 
(To he cvtitinued.) 
