May 13, 1893] 
THE EISHING GAZETTE 
351 
NEW FISHING TACKLE, CATA¬ 
LOGUES, &c. 
MESSRS. W. T. HANCOCK AND CO. 
Messes. W. T. Hancock and Co., of 308, High 
Holborn, send us a copy of their new catalogue, 
which certainly does them credit both for com¬ 
pleteness and attractive appearance. It is not 
merely an illustrated catalogue of fishing-tackle, 
as it contains, in addition, much general infor¬ 
mation which many anglers will find useful. 
We have only space to notice a few of the 
items which this firm make a feature of 
On page 5, the Imperial Fly-rod and Outfit. 
These rods now having obtained such a world¬ 
wide reputation, they are being manufactured all 
the year round to meet the increasing demand of 
the season. 
Page 9, Mahseer Tackle Specialities. Rods made 
to stand hot and damp climates, and extra selected 
woods for severe strains, &c. The new design 
spoon, which is well worthy of inspection, but 
difficult to describe minutely. It is said to be 
much stronger in the mounting and able to resist 
any strain. 
Page 12, Hancock’s Drag and Clearing Ring 
consists of an open-jointed ring with four claws, 
like a hand, can be fastened round a rod and let 
down to any obstruction in the water, also it has 
a knife-cutter fitted, by which the hook can be 
cut off, and thus save a valuable line and tackle. 
Page 18, Single and Double Tapered Trout 
and Salmon Lines, which have received the highest 
award for strength and durability. 
Pages 19 to 31 are devoted to describing 
minutely every fly that is likely to prove destruc¬ 
tive to fish. This special department owes its 
success to the employment of the best fly-tiers. 
Page 34, Special Thames Flight, as used with 
great success on the River Thames amongst the 
large trout. 
South-West Basket 
Page 44, Hancock’s Patent Pag, which is still 
a popular favourite, was invented by the patentee 
five or six years ago. 
Page 45, the South-West Basket, recommended 
by Major Carlisle, which enables an angler to 
carry his fish flat, and therefore does not spoil 
the appearance of a good fish, and also affords a 
comfortable, dry, and secure seat when closed. 
Page 46, Collap.sing Ring and Net, with tele¬ 
scopic handle and leather sling, made light yet 
strong, and folds up in very small space. 
Page 5.5, Hancock’s Hampshire Fly-fisher’s 
Knife, made expressly to meet the requirements 
of dry fly-fishers. 
Pages 57 to 69, Sea-tackle of every description 
is here well represented, and many new patterns 
given. 
Page 68 relates to preserving fish, birds, &c., 
set up at very moderate cost by a most practical 
taxidermist. 
At the end of this well-revised catalogue, in¬ 
formation is given about the bye-laws of different 
Hancock’s Hampshiee Flt-pisher’s Knife. 
rivers. Also a treatise on “ Fish, and How to 
Catch Them.” Some good recipes for baits, 
preservatives. &c., Mr. Hancock himself having 
given much of his practical experience in this 
book. 
We can strongly recommend both fresh and 
salt-water anglers to obtain this new and very 
fully illustrated catalogue. 
MESSRS. F. T. WILLIAMS AND CO. 
Messe.s. F. T. Williams and Co., 10, Great 
Queen-street, London, established 1828, send us 
their new catalogue; it is very neatly got up, 
and fully illustrated. Among the illustrations 
we notice Mr. Basil Field's patent aerating bait- 
can; in the handle there is a little air-pump, and 
as you carry the can you can send a supply of 
air into the water in the simplest manner 
imaginable. It is the best bait-can we know, and 
we have used one for many years. 
Another very good thing in this list is 
Williams and Co.’s “Oval Trout Wading Net.” 
It is a plain hickory ring, spliced on to a short 
handle of about two feet, with a good deep net, 
complete for 3s. fid. 
Then we notice Williams’s “ Improved Method 
of Carrying the Landing-net,” fully explained 
and illustrated. Their patent rod joint fastener 
is one of the best in the market. By the way, we 
noticed the other day that Mr. A. Nelson Cheney, 
editor of Shooting and Fishing, Boston, U.S.A., 
referred to our love of patent lock-fast joints in 
this country, and said that he owned a rod which 
had plain ferrules, no taper, and he would defy 
anyone to throw it apart by fair casting. All we 
can say is that our rods at present are not built 
that way ; further, that a friend of ours who had 
a “ best possible ” American split-cane rod over, 
found that the joints, after a few hours salmon 
fishing, did give a little, and had to be tightened 
up. Messrs. Williams have an interesting line in 
their list, viz., “American Steel Tubular Rods.” 
10ft. fly rod, they label it “ excellent.” We have 
never yet seen a metal rod that could be called 
even “ indifferent good.” 
For rods of all kinds and at all prices, this firm 
has long been famous. Fancy a three-joint 10ft. 
hickory fly rod, with rings and winch fittings, 
:ot 5s. fid. 
Their list is a very comprehensive one, and 
will suit the roach angler, who loves the long 
light bamboo or white cane, as well as the 
flyfisher or spinner. 
Me. White, late of the Rondono Hotel, St. 
Mary’s Loch, Selkirk, and now of the George 
Hotel, Stanley, Perth, writes, under date 
April 20, 1893 : “ I consider the Fishing Gazette 
the leading authority on matters piscatorial, and 
also the best medium for hotels (with fishing) 
which advertise.” 
My prophecy concerning an early May-fly 
season is being fulfilled. Reports of a more or 
less considerable rise are coming in from various 
places, one of the earliest being from the upper 
reaches of the Thames, where a considerable rise 
was seen on May 5. I only hope that this hot, 
bright weather will not continue, for we shall 
have a great glut of fly, the trout will disdain our 
imitations, and the sport will be bad excepting 
during the first day or two. 
On Thursday a very interesting discussion 
took place at Reading concerning the preserva¬ 
tion of the Thames, ics fisheries, beauties, towing 
paths, &c. The situation was full of humour, 
for the majority of those present were either 
riparian owners or their friends, who, while most 
anxious to keep the river to themselves as much 
as possible, were very loth, at a meeting at which 
reporters were present, to say anything which 
would give that impression. I hope to give 
further details next week. 
I SOMETIMES find myself wondering whether we 
should not be better without fishery boards. Not 
long since, the chairman of a very important 
board publicly stated that he considered the 
rights of riparian owners of far greater impor¬ 
tance than the preservation of salmon. Without 
discussing the abstract principles involved in this 
statement, the remark was certainly a very 
curious one to come from the chairman at a board 
meeting. Only a few days ago, another board 
which is supposed to look after the interests of 
the fisheries of the River Weir had brought 
before it a very serious case of pollution and fish 
slaughter by refuse from gas works. There was 
no doubt about the pollution being illegal, and it 
seems to have been admitted that if a prosecution 
had been instituted, a conviction would have been 
obtained, and that if civil proceedings had been 
taken, the gas company would have been mulcted 
in damages for the fish they had killed. It was 
not the first offence. Something of the kind had 
happened before. But—would you believe it ?— 
the decision arrived at was to ask the gas com¬ 
pany not to do it again, with a mild suggestion 
that perhaps they might be disposed to put some 
fish into the river in the place of those that had 
been killed by them. _ 
Does it not seem a most unreasonable thing 
that, while the bye-laws exclude anglers from 
fishing the river during three months of the 
year, ducks and swans, which are surely of less 
account than human beings, are allowed the 
privilege of fishing for eggs and small fry to any 
extent; but, confound it all! they are also 
allowed to kill undersized fish with impunity. 
Seriously now, ought not all swans and ducks to 
be provided with a foot rule to measure the fish 
before they swallow them .P But whether this is 
feasible or not, one thing is quite certain, there 
is nothing to prevent the conservators from 
making it illegal for persons to turn their ducks 
and swans on the Thames during the months of 
April and May. No bye-law that they could 
make would conduce more greatly to the increase 
of fish in the Thames. 
This injury to the Thames fisheries by swans 
and ducks is being very strongly taken up by the 
fishery associations and angling clubs. Strong 
representations have been made on the subject 
by the Maidenhead Association, the Henley 
Association, and the Oxford Association, the 
latter body having passed a somewhat quaintly 
worded, but not the less forcible, resolution to 
the effect that swans and ducks should not be 
given greater privileges on the river than anglers. 
Undoubtedly, it is a ridiculous thing that birds 
should be allowed to slaughter millions upon 
millions of young fish and eggs of fish at a time 
when anglers are kept off the river. There was 
great truth in the remark made by Mr. Crumplen 
in a paper read before the Gresham Angling 
Society some years ago, that what he terms 
“ scientific preservation of fish ” was far more 
important than mere police duties. In one after- 
