IMarch 4, 1893] 
THE FISHING GAZETTE 
153 
■which, by the way, ought to have been noted and 
corrected by the conservators, but as regards 
great matters of principle and policy, the man 
from the Severn can give as good an opinion as 
the man from the Thames, and I have no hesi¬ 
tation in saying that Mr. Bund, if left to his own 
devices, would not have allowed netting in the 
upper river. I will acknowledge myself wrong 
in this matter when proved wrong, but I have 
no fears on the subject. 
At the Cornwall Fishery Exhibition next 
summer, there is to be a Japanese Section. It 
will, surely, be most interesting. Japanese flies 
which I have seen are most artistic productions, 
and everything the Japanese make has a quaint 
charm of its own, a kind of combination of the 
artistic and practical. The finest drawings of 
fish I ever saw were made by a Japanese artist. 
Not a few of the larger Japanese bamboo fishing 
rods are worked up into bank anglers’ roach 
poles. _ 
In the eighth annual report of the National 
Society for the Preservation of Footpaths, a 
subject in which most anglers are greatly con¬ 
cerned, there is a facsimile drawing of a new 
abomination called fish-hook fencing. I suppose 
there are people in existence, but not many, who 
would call it an improvement on barbed wire. 
It was placed on some common ground where a 
private person claimed to exclude the villagers 
from enjoying rights which had been theirs for 
many years. A court of law decided in favour 
of the villagers, and a piece of the fencing was 
produced in court, where it created a sensation, 
and called down a severe censure from the judge. 
That such things can be done in any part of 
England at the end of this century, is good 
reason, if one were needed, for supporting the 
excellent society I have mentioned. Its offices 
are at 42, Essex-street, Strand. Templar. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
E. M. Banbury. —Kindly send your English 
address, and say the most you care to pay per 
week. 
J. Fenton, Leeds.—There are pike in several of 
the Scotch lochs. There is no close season and 
the proprietors are, as a rule, only too glad to 
get rid of such exterminators of salmon and 
trout. 
[TTe do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions 
expressed by our Correspondents.'] 
“ One of the charms of angling is that it presents an 
endless field for argument, speculation, (ind experi¬ 
ment.” —T. E. Pritt. 1 ■ 
ANGLING AT THIRSK. 
Sir, —In the “ Angler’s Diary ” for 1892, Thirsk 
is described as follows :— 
“ Thirsk (York), G.N.R., M.R., on Wiske and 
Cowsby Beck ; good trouting,” &c., &c. 
This information, I think, is utterly incorrect, 
Thirsk being situate on the Ccdbeck and not near 
the Wiske at all; also, the only railway near it is 
the North-Eastern. 
Would any of your readers, whose knowledge of 
the place is more correct than that of the Editor 
of the “Angler’s Diarjq’’ kindly give me some 
information about the fishing to be had there?— 
Are there any fishing clubs ?—If so, do they grant 
permission to strangers, and upon what terms?— 
Or could they favour me with any address to 
write to ? By doing so they would confer a 
favour upon—\Yurs truly, Keeldar. 
FISHING IN BRITISH COLUMBIA. 
Dear Sir, —If not troubling you too much, will 
you kindly give me what information possible in 
your next issue as to rods and tackle, &c., for 
fishing in British Columbia, Canada ? I am going 
out for a few years’ fishing, and though do not 
wish to take anything superfluous, wish to take 
all that is necessary. I am taking a salmon and 
two trout rods ; should I take others ? I am more 
perplexed as to sorts of tackle, flies, and quantities 
of each; if you can tell me this shall be greatly^ 
obliged, and the most desirable places for fishing 
between Port Arthur and Vancouver on my way 
to Victoria. Any other information -will be much 
esteemed.—Yours faithfully, T. C. H. 
[We advise T. C. H. to take plenty of lake 
trout and sea trout flies, also Phantoms, in various 
sizes, and spoons, as the trout are plentiful and 
run a good size, in fact a grilse rod would be 
most generally useful for trout. The salmon 
will not take a fly, but take a spinning bait freely. 
For the small streams an ordinary small trout 
rod with usual standard trout fl ies, with plenty 
of Red Palmers, Black Palmers with silver twist, 
and good sized Coachman.— Ed.] 
TROUT FISHING IN GERMANY. 
SIr, —There is but little trout fishing to be had 
in the Rhine tributaries about Cologne ; lower 
down “ Vortex ’’ may find some, but fearfully dear, 
as it is mostly rented by the landlords of the various 
inns, and as “ Forellen, drei marks per portion,’’ is 
the principal item of their menus, and as they 
have a good demand for them, they expect one 
to pay in the same ratio for catching them. 
“Vortex ’’ can, however, find plenty of chub about 
the Rhine, and, as they take a fly well, he might 
keep his hand in at them. The German for chub 
is “ Knilps.’’ On sunny days with any big fly (I 
used Scotch Peel Flies), he should, if he 'keep well 
out of sight, get lots of thumpers in the back¬ 
waters and quiet places. The rush of a Rhine 
chub is much more exciting than any Thames 
one, for they fight well and long. I would advise 
“ Vortex ’’ to be careful about getting permission, 
as the police regulations in (Jermany are some¬ 
what strict. I was once fined ten marks for not 
having my “ fischekarte ’’ with me, although the 
gendarme who “pulled me up ’’ knew perfectly well 
that I had one, and had often seen it. If “Vortex” 
would take a day’s journey, via Jena, to Blanken- 
burg, and from thence to Schwartzburg-Rudol- 
stadt, he will, by staying at the Hotel zum 
Weissen Hirsch, get splendid trout fishing in the 
Schwartza free. Pension at the hotel 3.j marks 
per day, including board and lodging, breakfast, 
table d’hote, and supper—wine, &c., extra. The 
trout run up to 31b. and 41b., though a 2-pounder 
isabigone; there are a few grayling also. While 
staying there for six weeks, and fishing almost 
every day, I only saw another fisherman once, so 
the angler practically has the fishing to himself. 
All Devonshire flies do well here, but must be 
small.—Yours truly, _ Rook. 
CLOSE SEASON FOR PERCH IN THE 
THAMES. 
Sir, —When fishing at Shepperton on Saturday, 
Feb. 18, Mr. F. Wilkinson and myself took a few 
roach and a brace of perch. 
One of the perch, a |lb. fish, was full of spawn ; 
this plainly shows that in a mild season (like the 
present early part of February), March 15 is at 
least six weeks too late a date as regards perch 
fishing. 
We returned both perch to the river immedi¬ 
ately.—Faithfully yours, 
Weybridge. Charles H. Wueeley. 
GOOD SPORT IN THE ARROW. 
Dear Sir, — Some splendid sport was had in the 
Arrow on Saturday afternoon. Nine pike, weigh¬ 
ing 691b., were caught with live bait in a little 
over two hours, and more would have probably 
been caught had not the stock of bait been ex¬ 
hausted. The following is the catch : Mr. Stanley, 
five fish, 91b, 7|lb., 71b., 41b., 31b.; Mr. Holloway 
(Talbot Hotel), two fish, 7|lb. and 71b.; Mr. James, 
two fish, 71b. and 6|lb. This makes a total of 
eighteen fish in three afternoons, total weight 
being 112pb.—AYurs faithfully, J. H. S. 
EWER-KEEPERS’ DINNER. 
Sir, —Kindly allow me to acknowledge the 
receipt of contributions from the following donors, 
with my best thanks: Anglers' Association, 
Gresham Angling Society, Anglers’ Pride, Second 
Surrey and Sundial; Messrs. J. C. Chubb, 
E. Clarke and Sons, J. Keeble, J. Richardson, 
Canard, T. Rolls, and M. H. Blarney. 
As this will be my last appeal, the dinner 
taking place on March 10, and being short of 
funds, 1 sincerely hope from the general public 
it will meet with a more favourable response. 
W. H. Brougham. 
11, Pownall-gardens, March 1, 1893. 
BE THE THAMES FISHERY BYE-LAWS. 
Clause No. 19. 
Sir, —The eel fishing in the Thames, either by 
riparian owners or others, should be in the hands 
of skilfully practical and responsible men ; for 
there is not a single fresh-water fish that at times 
is not taken, as well as cray-fish, and, being 
taken under such circumstances, should be 
returned. The setting of eel baskets, if properly 
understood, is at least to say profitable, and I 
consider that a practical person with three dozen 
baskets, valued at 3s. fid. each (as many as can 
be well managed), should obtain from £’15 to £20 
a season, besides paying for his outlay in baskets, 
for eels are a valuable and marketable product. 
I myself have taken forty-seven eels during one 
night in spring time, as it is at that period of 
the year that the up-stream eels are caught, for 
the run lasts from early March to September. 
During the late or winter months we have wdiat 
is called a down-stream run. Then in flood-time 
they are caught in weirs with buck baskets or 
buck nets, or cel traps, fixed. Under such cir¬ 
cumstances I have known 5cwt. to fiewt. of a 
night caught of such sizes of from Ijlb. to 3^13. 
Eel fishing requires great experience. 'I’l'e 
knowledge of how and when to set being a matter 
of great consideration to gain success, and only 
obtained after years of trouble, unless proper 
information is given to beginners. 
Should not the eel fishing be let to responsible 
men, or should it be a perquisite to the river- 
keepers, or form part of their salary? 
If this is of any consequence to those iv'ho are 
interested, you, Mr. Editor, are quite welcome to 
this small information.—Yours faithfully, 
T. W. Murray, 
Thorney Weir House Club, West Drayton. 
STEEL TRACES, ETC. 
Dear Sir, —A very successful pike fisher, viz , 
the Rev. Eugene Perrin, writes us from Christ 
Church Cottage, Mirfield, Normanton, pointing 
our attention to a remark in a letter by a 
correspondent of yours who signs himself 
“ A. D. C.,” in your last, as to the use of 
wire traces in casting from the reel. We 
were, we believe, the first to introduce these 
wire traces, and we can supply them either 
stiff or limp, as preferred. As to the point 
“ A. D. C.” inquires upon, we (juote from our cor¬ 
respondent, the gentleman referred to in our 
opening sentence:—“I have just opened my 
Fishing Gazette, and see from a letter signed 
‘ A. D. C.’ that his opinion is your steel traces 
are no use for casting from a fast reel. I think 
this is unfair, and that he has not thoroughly 
tried them. You know that I always use your 
annealed steel traces, and I always cast from a 
Nottingham reel, and often make very long casts, 
too, and I have never had a trace that has not 
cast beautifully. I have had one snap, and only 
one, and that was at the end of the season after 
nearly six months’ use, and it had got rotten. 
. . . Tell ‘ A. D. C.’ to straighten out the 
trace with his fingers before commencing fishing, 
and then it will hold even a tarpon !—if like those 
supplied to me.” 
All your readers who have perused our adver¬ 
tisement in the Fishing Gazette will have noted 
the remarkable success the Rev. Mr. Perrin has 
had as a pike spinner, and we feel sure “ A. D. C.” 
and every other mid-water or minnow fisher for 
pike or salmon will be interested in the result of 
his experience.—Y'ours, &c., 
1). AND \V. H. Foster. 
Ashbourne, Feb. 28. 
Carlisle Angling Association. —Since the 
annual meeting of this association, when it was 
announced that the trout fishing at Wetheral had 
been taken by a private gentleman, and had gone 
out of the hands of the association, whose mem¬ 
bers had enjoyed the privilege of fishing in it for 
many years, an arrangement has been come to 
with the lessee, and this excellent trout fi.shing 
will be open to the general angler as heretofore. 
The terms to strangers for tickets for trout fish¬ 
ing in all the Carlisle Association's waters are one 
guinea for the season, or 23. fid. per week. The 
latter item is reduced from bs., the amount 
charged last year. In addition there is the trout- 
rod licence of 2s. fid. for the season, or Is. a 
week.— Gret.a. 
