98 
THE PISHING GAZETTE 
[Pebutjaut 11, 1893 
for fishinff rights over a river near Chester. Tliis 
association, nnder the presidency of Mr. Hawkes, has 
developed a lot of enterprise, and this makes the failure 
the more regrettable. 
A new club has sprung into existence in Hulme, under 
the name of the Mill Sawyers’ Angling Society. Mr. P. 
Leonard is the president, and Mr. E. Johnson the 
secretary. 
The Hampton Court Angling Society, Salford, promises 
■well for a successful first season. Although only a 
month old, its roll-call is complete. This must be very 
gratifying to the veteran who organised the club and is 
the first treasurer. 
A preliminary warning is given by the Worsley Canal 
Fishery Board that the coming close season will be 
strictly enforced in respect to the waters under control, 
and the co-operation of all subscribers to this fishery is 
urgently needed, in order to protect the undertaking 
from the abuse existing in former years, when much 
mischief was done. 
The Openshaw anglers are to be congratulated on 
getting Mr. Hadfield-Bowcrs into harness, for the elec¬ 
tion to office of a gentleman with the true interests of 
angling at heart is always beneficial to the society 
fortunate enough to count him as a member. For a long 
time numbers have prevailed at Openshaw, and, nnder 
Mr. Bowers’ influence, the society is bound 'to benefit in 
the future. It is an open secret that some fresh water 
will have to be secured by this society, but, donbt’ess, 
this difficulty will be easily overcome. 
FROM MONTGOMERYSHIRE, 
To the Editor of the Fishing Gazette. 
The salmon fishing season commenced on the 2nd inst., 
but with no results up to the present, as the rivers are 
yet too high for the nets, and angling for salmon in this 
neighbourhood seems altogether at a discount, as the 
few fish taken during the season are captured by nets, 
and the local fishermen are anticipating some little sport 
when the rivers are reduced in volume, as the floods and 
rises in the water, they hope, will enable a few salmon 
to escape the numerous engines spread for their capture 
at the month of the Severn, and which, nnder other 
circumstances, it is hopeless to expect them to do. And 
this is such a very sore point with the owners and 
occupiers of land in the upper ■waters, that some of them 
arc inclined to prohibit anglers from trespassing on 
their land as a sort of protest against the present very 
one-sided state of affairs, as they argue that the Severn 
Fishery Board charge anglers for licences, but cannot 
grpt them permission to reach the rivers, and to do 
this, the anglers have to count on the goodwill of the 
owners and occupiers of the lands adjoining the river; 
and it is a well-known fact that on all farms bounded by 
rivers, one half of that river is measured in with the 
acreage of the farm, and on this the tenant has to pay 
rent, rates, and taxes ; and if the river runs through the 
farm, the whole of it is measured in and charged for; 
and ^ the tenants in this district argue with great 
justice, that they should have some return from 
the rivers, which at present is next to nothing; 
but if some more eqnal division of the enormous 
number of salmon bred in this district could be 
arranged, they should only be too glad to afford to all 
anglers the greatest facilities, and also take the greatest 
interest in the preservation of these rivers, especially as 
regards the salinon, but as matters now stand, all they 
do in this direction is so much thrown away, and only 
benefits the fishermen in the lower waters, who reap all 
the benefit : and great regret is expressed, by not only 
our locil anglers, but all others who visit this neighbour¬ 
hood, that with so many natural advantages in these 
rivers for salmon fishing, so very few fish live to reach 
the neighbourhood. The only remedy for the present 
state of affairs, is for all fhe riparian proprietors in the 
upper waters to join together and insist on having equal 
justice with those fortunate enough to reside near the 
mouth of the Severn, and who now reap all the benefit, 
whilst wo are compelled to rest and be thankful for the 
crumbs which falls from these rich men’s tables. 
FROM NORFOLK. 
To the Editor of the Fishing Gazette. 
We are having lovely bright pike-fishing weather, and 
local anglers are doing well everywhere, and I am glad 
to be able to report some splendid fish taken during the 
past week. 
On Wednesday last Mr. G. C. Davies took ten fish 
spinning; smallest fish, 81b., largest, ll^lb ; and later in 
the week the same gentleman had another nice bag of 
good fish. 
On Thursday Mr. T. E. Gunn, naturalist, Norwich, 
had a v'ory nice bag, headed by a fish of 181b. These 
were caught on the Bure at Wroxham. 
The various Broads have been fishing well—one 
gentleman got two fine fish, one 181b. and another 2(llb., 
at Barton, while other parties have taken bags of three 
to eight fish, weighing from 31b. to 121b. a fish. 
The best fish of the week is a grand female taken 
j'esterday on private water, the name of which I may 
not divulge. This really fine fish weighed to-night 
(Wednesday), 2!ilb. Measurements: Total length, 
3ft. Tin. ; girth, 21in. By the kindness of Mr. Roberts, 
who is preserving it, I weighed and measured it myself. 
No doubt if it had been carefully weighed last night it 
would have scaled 301b. 
FROM NOTTINGHAM. 
To the E.'.itor of the Fishing Gazette. 
The Trent in our district has settled down into nice 
condition for chub fishing, and had the weather been less 
boisterous on Wednesday, there is no doubt anglers 
would have been busy on such favourite reaches as 
Wilford, Sawley, Holme, Pierrepont and Fiskerton. 
Towards the close of last week heavy rains brought on a 
very big water, and until Monday very little chance of 
securing a bag of coarse fish was possible. The upper 
tributaries were greatly swollen right up to Sunday. 
Pike fishing may fairly be regarded as over for the 
season, which has not been a thoroughly successful one ; 
the fact being that the waters of the river have been so 
constantly up and down. It is noteworthy that just now 
all the coarse fish taken are in the pink of condition, and 
fight most resolutely when hooked. 
At Weston on Monday, Messrs. Theaker and AVilson, 
of Nottingham, scored pretty freely with the cockspur 
worm amongst the roach, several of which averaged 
lib. each. They also got sundry chub, including one 
specimen of 2Jlb. On Wednesday, gentlemen were out 
pikeing in the “ Black Pool,” below the cliff, but the 
violence of the wind rendered casting anything but an 
agreeable task. 
On Tuesday some mixed lots of roach and bream were 
brought in from Barton osier bed, and roach, chub, 
perch and dace were killed by the patrons of the 
Wilford and Clifton private lengths. Amongst others, 
Mr. J. Taylor had a perch weighing within a fraction of 
a pound, and a handsome lot of roach was secured in 
the meadow below the bridge by Mr. T. Castles. Our 
correspondent was also to the fore with big roach and a 
few well-conditioned chub. 
Sport has not been up to the average in the lengths 
below Nottingham, although, weather permitting, the 
chub swims ought to yield during the next tew days. 
At an extraordinary meeting of the members of the 
Nottingham Wellington Angling Society, held at head¬ 
quarters on the night of the 1st inst., the president (Mr. 
W. Gaskell) who presided ,;stated that he had been in com¬ 
munication with Mr. T.AVood, of Nottingham, with regard 
to taking over, on a yearly tenancy, the Shard low fishery. 
That gentleman had renewed his lease on the water 
from the riparian owner. Lord Donnington, and he was 
anxious that, subject to certain conditions, the society 
should acquire it. Certain reservations were placed 
upon the salmon fishing, and the use of boats or punts 
would be prohibited. He desired to add that Mr. AVood 
had approached the society in a most liberal spirit, and 
he was sure the members would make a mistake if they 
did not close with his offer. Mr. AVood would place his 
keeper on the King’s Mills section, which adjoins Shard- 
low, at the disposal of the members, and Lord Donnington 
would let them, when occasion required, have tlie ser¬ 
vice of his keepers. Then as regarded the lower portion 
of the length, he (the president) had arranged, subject 
to the approval of the meeting, to enlist the services of 
two other keepers from an adjoining fishery. The meet¬ 
ing unanimously agreed to close with the offer, and the 
president was specially thanked for the time and trouble 
he bad exercised in bringing about the taking over of 
such a splendid piece of fishing. 
FROM SHEFFIELD. 
To the Editor of the Fishing Gazette. 
I learn that a fishing club in the Fen district has been 
considering the great boat question. The meaning of 
this will be apparent to all anglers. The fisherman of 
to-day has as many enemies as the fish he himself is 
pursuing. Leaving out of the question adverse winds, 
trying currents, and soul-disturbing elements of one 
sort and another, the boater he hath with him alway. 
It is very probable that this individual—generally a 
well-meaning nincompoop—is responsible for more swear 
words and emphatic exclamations of disapprobation on 
the part pf the peaceful holder of the rod than any other 
living thing—either in the heavens above, or the waters 
upon the face of the earth. He is to him as the red 
rag to the bull. He glides placidly along with a vacuous 
smile upon his far-away countenance, until fairly in a 
well-baited swim. Then, apprised by a shout of his 
locality, he rushes his oars into the water as vigorously 
as a windmill’s sails in a gale, and. with a noise almost 
approaching that made by an Atlantic liner, speeds 
away beyond earshot, satisfied that his mission in life 
is fulfilled. It is this soulless creature that has lately 
engaged the attention of one of the leading Fen clubs, 
which, so far as lies in its power, is determined to spare 
no pains to exterminate the race in Lincolnshire. Good- 
luck to their efforts, say I—a sentiment that will be 
endorsed by every angler in Sheffield. 
Although very much in sympathy with these Fen clubs 
there is one of them against which I have somewhat of 
a complaint to make. I shall not give the name— 
Lincolnshire readers will find it out easily enough. 
Suffice it to say that it is not at Boston or Lincoln. 
The club in question has, from the first, systematically 
opposed the entry of Sheffield fishermen into the district. 
The members have formed themselves into a close cor¬ 
poration, and strenuously resist the introduction of 
strangers into their preserves. I should not say one 
word against this were it not for the fact that the 
tradesmen and inhabitants of the town wish to have 
Sheffielders! within their gates, and have actually 
reqnesied inflilential persons now in Sheffield to do their 
best to bring about what they desire. They reali.se that 
the opening of the district to strangers would bring 
trade and money into their coffers, and are, naturally, 
a little incensed at the action of the club authorities. 
In the absence of real angling news—there having 
been nothing doing here for a fortnight—I shall take 
this opportunity of driving home what I have repeatedly 
urged upon local anglers, but hitherto without much 
effect. That is the desirability of occasionally trying 
the local waters, and giving the Lincolnshire hunting 
grounds a rest. It is probably too much to say that the 
AVitham and its tributaries, the Ancholme, and the 
Trent,’will ever become really tishless, like one or two 
cesspool-like rivers I could name. All the sa,me, how¬ 
ever, in view of the enormous numbers of fish that are 
yearly taken from these waters, it would be w'ell now 
and again to give them an opportunity of re-stocking, by 
abstaining from fishing them for a season. This would 
bo a great sacrifice for many local anglers to make, but 
it would be found in the end that the result would amply 
repay them. They could then for a time, turn their 
attention to waters nearer homo—say the Chesterfield 
and Stockwith Canal, the Rother, and the ponds at 
Pebley and Harthill. In the canal there are, at various 
points between Killamarsh and Retford, fish well worth 
angling for, while the Rother, to those who know its 
swims and eddies, would yield roach and chub of weight 
and quality. The Pebley pond is a trifle disappointing 
to the roach fisher, but will repay the wiclder of the 
pike rod, while the pond at Harthill is one of the best 
all-round fishing grounds in the neighbourhood. 
FROM SHROPSHIRE. 
To the Editor of the Fishing Gazette. 
This ■week has brought a long-looked-for change in the 
condition of the streams, which for many weeks have 
either been covered with icsor at flood. This week, how- 
eve'-, the Severn and its tributaries have fined down into 
good order, and those anglers who had the foresight to 
provide themselves with live baits, have doubtless had 
a good time among the pike. The season for clo.se fish is 
rapidly di-awing nigh to its end ; but during the next 
week or two they will be in satisfactory condition and 
yield good sport all round. The pike should now be at 
their best, and as many as possible ought to be cleared 
from the river before the summer. There are far too 
many in the Severn than is good for the well-being of 
the game fish, and this being so, the more pike anglers 
there are on the war path, the better it ■will be for 
Severn angling generally. 
Mr. Jeffrey Poole, a prominent member of the Shrop¬ 
shire Council, and one of the few of that powerful body 
who evinces a desire to protect the interests of anglers 
in the county, put some pertinent (juestions at the recent 
quarterly meeting. He asked if any united action had 
been taken with a view to protecting the salmon in the 
Severn in this district, remarking that he brought a 
motion, dealing with the question, before the council 
some twelve months ago, in order to show what an unfor¬ 
tunate position they, in the county of Shropshire, occu¬ 
pied as compared with the towns on the lower waters. 
He was now more than ever convinced that an Act of 
Parliament was required to protect their rights. Mr. 
Topham, replying to Mr. Poole’s well-timed remarks, 
said he could only refer Mr. Poole to the published re¬ 
ports of the Severn Fishery Board. From these he 
would obtain a great deal more information than he (the 
speaker) could give him. Mr. Poole said he had under¬ 
stood that an official report would be sent to that council. 
AVe are much inclined to the opinion of Mr. Poole 
in this matter, and with him think that only a compre¬ 
hensive Act of Parliament, dealing with every phase of 
the salmon fisheries question, will be effectual in giving 
unto each interest—anglers and netters of the lower and 
upper waters alike—their due proportion of fish. It is, 
certainly, high time that radical changes were brought 
about, not only on the Severn, but on several other 
English and Scotch rivers, where the netsmen of the 
tidal waters ever reap the golden harvest of fish which 
are bred and protected in the upper streams. There 
are so many elements of difficulty in bringing about this 
much-needed reform, however, that Boards of Conser¬ 
vators have little power, if they had the inclination, to 
deal with it in a thorough manner. There are the 
questions of close time, the total abolition or recon¬ 
struction of weirs, the sweejiing away of other artificial 
and natural barriers, river pollution, protection, and 
several other problems of like importance, which con¬ 
stitute the broad question one of peculiar difficulty, and 
so gigantic is it that we think, with Mr. Poole, that it is 
only a comprehensive Act of Parliament, amending past 
legislation, that will ensure for sportsmen in the upper 
districts on rivers like the Severn a fair proportion of 
fish, and the all-round betterment of the fisheries. 
FROM WORCESTER AND DISTRICT. 
To the Editor of the Fishing Gazette. 
Since my last the Severn has been almost in flood. 
There has been a rise on it of some four or five feet, 
consequently, until Saturday last, there were but few 
anglers out, but during the last two days some heavy 
baskets of roach and bream have been taken with the 
red worm. The water is fast sinking, and will soon bo 
in condition again, when sport should be good. 
Salmon fishing commenced here on the 2nd instant. 
In numbers the nets have not taken as many as usual, 
but in size they were above the average, several scaling 
over 511b. 'I hero are a (juantity of kelts coming down 
the river, and many of them got into the net.s, and had 
to bo returned to the water. The run of lamperns very 
poor, indeed. 
The annual meeting of the AVoroester and District 
Angling Association was held at the Bull’s Head Inn, 
on hrida-y, the 3rd inst. The president, E. H. Bowen, 
Kaq., being absent salmon fishing, the chair was taken 
by the veteran angler, Mr. Jaques ; Mr. M. Perks, the 
vice-miair ; and there was a good attendance of delegates. 
Ihe hon. sec., Mr. Jt. Wingfield, in giving his report, 
said that, although the past jear had not been a good 
one for angling, the associated societies had done very 
well, one angler having weighed-in over J cwt. of 
trout and grayling, and others had been very successful. 
Ihe whole of the clubs seemed to bo in a prosperous 
