SUPPLEMENT TO THE FISHING GAZETTE 
ff>covincial Botes 
FROM BIRMINGHAM AND DISTRICT. 
To the Editor of the Fishmg Gazette. 
At the recent meetiiiKs called for the purpose of 
consideration tlie Birmingham Challenge 
iVnS, f f? 7 y to see so much opposition 
hai^ I should have thought would 
enf il+t “u scheme in its 
entirety ; but the opposition that these clubs brought to 
was^'thaT'tb^e® °"® important effect, and that 
was that the cup should become the property of any 
SsYnTll^Ti**'® ®"P twice in succession or three 
times in all. Ihe cup committee, in giving in their 
wra^'^at'^sT *^® ®"P “°t be 
nroneitvoPfU^™®’ tor o^er remain the 
propeity ot the association. It was pointed out at the 
meeting the members should have a chance of winning 
the cup. Although the chance of any member winning 
felt b?tre®“® still greater satisfacS! 
telt by the members now they know that there is some 
little chance of the cup being won rightont. To show 
now small the chance of winning: the cup is, I wish 
to point out that the association has had seven i 
“d no club has been fortunate 
enough to furnish the winner on more than one occasion, 
and moreover than this, no winner has ever been able to 
pt any nearer than seventh in any of the other contests 
Md when we come to consider that about 700 members 
f I'Hf in n life time 
thp It falls to tp lot of a member to secure first honours, 
+k';a ^ f Ji ^ greater inducement offered, 
this order of things may change, and the cup may find a 
home of some individual who is 
X I ^as also 
pleased p see the motion carried relating to the diploma 
This will be something for the member to look upon in 
future yeps, and the club to which the member belongs 
wiU also p presented with a diploma. 
nn» remarks made by the representatives of 
tZk +b!ff were a little out of place, and I 
think that if the opinion of the whole of the members 
°,Vin®.®®rtain club could be obtained, now that certain 
alterpions have been made in the fishing for the cun it 
would not corpspond with what was said, but I hope 
that the minority will join hands with the majority and 
?“P ^a,lnable as possible and 
worthy ot the association to which they belong. 
A member of the Belmont Society had the good 
totup to spure a vpy fine eel from their club water at 
Moseley last week, the weight of the fish was 41b 5oz 
there are some very fine eels in this water, and also 
some ptraordinary fine carp. Pike are also to be found 
m good quantities, but the roach and perch, with which 
the pool IS well stocked, run rather small, but the 
water on the whole is as good as any near to Birmin°-- 
ham and ppsps who wish for fishing close to the city 
. Titford Pod was thrown open to the public on Mon- 
aay last. This pool is about five miles from Bir- 
mngpm, and is pout five minutes’ walk from the 
Langley Green railway station, on the Great Western 
Is- per day IS made for bottom fishing 
^ 'T*'® P®°f fs fairly 
well stocked with fash, some very good pike up to 121 b. 
have been taken, perch are numerous but lun small 
Gop accommodation can be had at the inn, close to the 
w-aterside, where the proprietor, Mr. Comlev, will be 
plpsed to give any information required respecting the 
nsbiDg for contests, &c. 
On Tprsdp evening next, June 1 , the Birmingham 
Associpion Committee will meet and take into con- 
Biderpion when and where the forthcoming annual 
association contest will be fished this year The com- 
possible, to travel by the London and 
North-Wptorn Railway Company, that is if they can 
fand a suitable place that will accommodate about 1000 
pglers, ap the committee would take it as a favour 
It any ot the members will communicate with the com¬ 
mittee as to recommending a suitable place on or before 
tne date mentioned above. 
SATURDAY, MAY 27 , 1893 . 
iWtof to'^calwB® fi* W weather served as an 
mperua to cause fish to spawn; in the view of tbe 
abnormal heat of April and May and the earWawnin® 
rncrwTtb“f V" t^® theory is not in Lcord^ 
&rcold W the momLt the weather 
to fall Ibi ''°'t.v of the rain began 
aLX’to V ’’^jfhel and chub moved off the sand beds Snd 
wLra *he time being. 
chu^-^and . lo ®-“r^‘^f-®® 1 ^^^® barbel and 
enuD ana a very interfiatiTicr ortonf«rtiA __l _ 
o ^i-uvYua UL large oaroei ana 
wastofa.^f' spectacle it was-not one 
toto the d ®®®“®<t to have moved 
barbel and ^‘'® "“®® turmoil which 
water ®®®'®®" especially in very low 
Tt *‘^® Trent plunging abouT 
belieftotbew1“°iJ‘^i“t^"y’-r^“‘^ “^lit account for a 
rfver Tfa ®'"?h things existed in the 
body' T ™°^® '^bout and rise in a solid 
SwTorth:Va'<!ifio.''^^ ’--®- 
the ®? numerous in some reaches of 
tfae 1 rent as they are at present above Kin<r’s Mills 
lead toenumb^^^°'"®’iT^«®r '‘^® ®°“®-hat 
orWhP congregated by the banks 
on Whit Monday was simply incredible. There were all 
to^ the^®®’ tiny lately-born with abnormal 
the unpretentious and 
easily satisfied canal angler. There seemed to be 
mr^When toe ^“‘^®TS®d?eoii and roach predominat- 
e dorlr u a ^ nioved off in a body it was simply like 
a dark shadow moving over the bed of the river. When 
and wiMrott, water they made a simultaneous 
in . rush at it, many of them leaping and jumping 
ThefexTSd Sr^°'-n-oP-fish” 8 ortofway^ 
sorrv ®+^*^®®‘^®,‘? tor a long way up the river, and I wL 
sorry to notice an occasional fungus-affected fish 
especially amongst the roach. Coarse fish generally are 
touh now and food is plentiful Dace and 
iT ®,°°t'nuing to rise freely to the natural fly. It 
s quite clear that all kinds of course fish will be in 
good condition on the opening day. 
nnJn^® ®°“*tition of the Water, so far as salmon fishing is 
S wito'®it“s°'^ tar from unfavourable, indeed, cL- 
pared with its _ recent state, it may be said to be 
excellent tor spinning with the much-favoured Devon 
Duti owing to the immense quantity of flannel weed 
wito ts almost impossible to fish 
touDd **^® line being constantly 
a M green, ugly weed, and holds grimly on to 
anything with which it may come in contact. There is 
®n®ngb to bring fresh fish up, but there is quite 
enough to induce fish to take. ^ 
* 1 ^® general advent of the 
*^® 'T®®!^ g'nd the surmise 
be ^^® now be said to 
^nd between this (Wednesday) and Mon- 
iu annrl its climax. The trout streams are all 
® 1 ^^® '^‘*'in! and are running at a nice 
height. Whitsuntide anglers have been fairly numerous, 
with much more success than the anglers 
of the Easter holidays, the conditions being much 
tons rc°T ®-fa ^^'®® y®iiow 
tons, &c., have been numerous on the water, and the 
fash have risen with considerable freedom, especiallv in 
soL® 7 T°"' .iDfPite of this the best baskets (Ld 
®«* to ten brace have been made) were not 
W *^® ra^ggot and worm, and a 
few with the Devon. The best fish of which we have 
heard was a Loch Levener of 41b. loz., taken bv Mr 
Lewis, near Matlock Bath. It was, we believe, taken 
vith a maggot. The natural minnow has also been 
fatal to a few good fish. Though it is annoviuo- at 
‘f®'fi’ u.watcher Coward observed a 
See of fiddled condition on the 
I 5 *i!® Petiuted water, and he traced the 
raei“be°”s«w *^® Mills, where in the mill-tail 
■ conditioirTurf®!!®''®^ ®® * about in the same 
condition, and there was also a number of dead fish in 
the 1® 1^1^® bed of 
the Kent a mile below the mill. Again on May 14 a 
dead^in tto^bHd°^f*to"i?®”'^ yoking salmon were found 
dead in the bed of the River Kent from Ackrio-? un to 
the toh barf ^^® Taper Mills, and^fome of 
the fish had every appearance of having been subjected 
to a strong caustic, such as chloride onime On Apri 
iLf Kiyer Bela was polluted in a similar manner by 
Mnt flowing from the AVaterhouse Paper 
1 . *^^® below the mills were 
practically destroy®d. In both these cases the effluent 
matter from the mills was not actually a noison 
’^^®’ '^ben introduced into 
eveutolif’'®^ r-" *'^® U®*' P^^®® fuddles the fish, and 
them^ Mv in ®°®fA®®®.‘^ f°5 auy length of time, destroys 
them. My committee is advised that this pollution is 
®?'®® bttle expense. That at Bo w- 
stone Mill could be avoided by running the polluted water 
bif t^^® P'P®’ fbe field forming the east 
bank-which has a natural filter bad of gravel, from 
wh®nce the purified water would again find its wav 
into the river ; and that at Waterhouse Mill if the 
water was run into sufficiently large settling tanks 
the resinous and organic matter in suspense would 
with the water might 
it wn. f ’'®T to the river from which 
it was taken. I am directed by my committee fo 
aid ua'^eful consideration of these faeto 
thf ®°®'}®»f the assistance and evidence of 
hanr”*°^®^® analyst who have had the matter fn 
nuif thnf -^^y have the desired effect, 
and that the County Council will tackle the subject in a 
more thorough manner than has hitherto bLn the 
case. Their action will be watched with interest not 
only by anglers, but the public generally, as the above 
cases have created much public comment 
^^.^f^^^^P^oseention of alleged fish poachers took 
^ 1 ®*'-,^ Sessions on Saturday. 
SfTvp^ ’ ^ ^bba hailing from Keswiek and 
btaveley, were summoned for unlawfully taking fish 
with a n^ m the upper reaches of the Kent, at Kent- 
P®8’‘f watcher in the employ of the 
Fishery Board, was about to state the particulars of the 
case, when the Chairman asked him for his authority 
to prosecute^ and also for proof of the jurisdiction of 
FROM DERBYSHIRE. 
To the Editor of the Pishing Gazette. 
,®o™e. the weather is more 
broken, and the streams have all increased in volume 
XT®° 1 KT® i® conoerned, are in excellent order! 
On May 151 was informed by the lock-keeper at Beeston 
that, according to the gauge above the weir, the river 
had not been so low since August 8 , 1887, on which 
Tb°fl rtopr* attained a lower level by nearly one inch. 
The river, of late, has not struck me as being lower 
than it was towards the end of last August, but there is 
f®ct above stated, and it is 
equally certain that it has never, so far as recorded, fallen 
below its late level at this season. The spawning season 
has been a wonderfuBy successful one, and moat abnor- 
®°®''’®® fi®b, with the exception of 
toat^f nto®^’ ®°. ^®'’' U® “yj>®rso“a'l observation and 
“Ot® s“ofl things warrants me in 
opinion, have not yet begun to spawn, 
Mav^SW PA®*?'®® to be specially early. May 25 to 
^forfnltof h “o.rmal [period. Rke were at least 
abnnf +hA ^UIP^®*’® their usual time ; dace, which began 
about the 13th, were quite three weeks ; roach (April 18) 
a>f^®ifi®®’’^^^ ^^® ®®‘??®l while chub and barbel (May 8 
^®/® “°f® ^ fortnight earlier than usual. I 
have heard people who ought to have been competent I 
Tv,T« 4 .i 'i It ’ **oi 4 . xjjvmgu lu IS annoying at 
Matlock Bath during such holiday-times as Whitsun¬ 
tide, to be interrupted when casting over a rising fish 
excursionist.^, yet the reach over 
which boating is possible, though it holds many good 
fish, 18 of no great length, it is not a very serious evil, 
personally, I have seen trout continue to rise as the 
boat was passing, almost at the oar end, and apparently 
in this reach they have no fear of a boat. This may be 
due to custom, or can the hereditary instinct of the 
Loch Leven trout, as a loch trout, survive (most of the 
fash are Loch Leveners), and display itself in that 
common trait of loch trout, indifference to a boat? It is 
certainly investing to see how fearless the fish are. 
+ 1 ® f ^®P® fo be able to give some particulars of 
the May-fly rise. 
FROM THE LAKE DISTRICT. 
To the Editor of the Fishing Gazette. 
Allusion has from time to time been made in the pages 
ot the Fishing Gazette to cases of pollution and the 
destruction of fash in this district. We are glad to find 
that steps are now being taken which, if followed up 
may prevent a recurrence of such deplorable incidents 
in the future. The following letter is this week beino- 
torwarded to members of the Westmoreland County 
Council froin the office of Mr. S. Hart Jackson, clerk to 
the Fishery Board ; 
“Gentlemen,—! am instructed by the General Pur- 
poses Committee of toe Kent, Bela, Winster, Leven, 
and Duddon Fishery Board to draw your attention to 
the gross pollution of the River Kent, and also of the 
River Bela, which has recently occurred. Unfortunately 
the powers conferred on my board in reference to these 
matters are very limited, but your council, under the 
wider powers conferred upon you by the Rivers Pollu- 
*'®“ Acts, may be able to deal with the matter more 
effectively The pollution of the Kent occurred as 
follows : During the week following April 2 last the 
■traters of the river were discoloured by a dark brown 
elHuent from the Bowstone Paper Mills, and this dis¬ 
colouration extended as far down the river as Kendal 
toe board. The witness produced his official appoint¬ 
ment as watcher, and stated that he had been ordered 
to prosecute in the case, though further instructions 
*^^‘^„®’'P®c^cd toat morning had not come to 
hand. The defendants expressed their willingness to an 
adjournment: but the Bench dismissed the case, evi- 
dently much to the surprise of the men in the dock, who 
tailed to appreciate the situation until informed by the 
^ XT • police that they were at liberty to go ! 
fjii heavy showers of rain have 
fallen daily during the past week, it was not until Tues- 
day morning that some of our rivers recovered their 
I® ®°“® district re- 
autiw ^ militated against successful 
angling ; but, taken all round, there is a decided change 
tor the better Our Appleby correspondent states that 
in that neighbourhood sport has been really good durine- 
the past week; amongst the most successful anglers 
wer® Mr W. Thornton, who, with corncrak'e and starfino- 
took a dozen nice trout, and a Manchester gentleman’ 
nained Nelson, who had eight pounds with the worm A 
party of gentlemen staying at the Tufton Arms Hotel 
Appleby, on Saturday had together eighty fish The 
I Lune has also been well patronised by local anglers and 
[ visitors. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday Mr. W 
debay, had a pannier each day of about 51b 
with May-fly ; and Mr. W. Wills, Teba/, on the same 
totes, had takes of 41b., 51b , and 71b., also with the 
May-fly. A Mr. Pemberton, of London, has been suc¬ 
cessful on several days with May-fly ; and the followin'.- 
to hand ; Mr. A. Remington, on toe 19th, 71b.” 
with May-fly; Mr. T. Dodd, Greenhouse, 41b., with 
running worm ; Mr. T. Derome, of Kendal, on the 23rd 
•W '“““mg worm; Mr. W. J. Fisher, Tebav 21b ’ 
with May-fly; while some fine single fish have also been 
secured. A fair number of rods were out on the Mint 
and Sprint, the best take on the latter being 81b of 
trout by Mr. St. John. _ ^ 
FROM LANCASHIRE. 
To the Editor of the Fishing Gazette, 
Unsettled weather may, perhaps, have kept a lot of 
anglers at home during the past holidays, but for those 
who risked all and went, sport of a very satisfactory 
character was obtained. For instance, Mr. MoCrirrick 
and friends, have for the past three Whit Mondays 
visited, by permission, a preserved portion of the 
Weaver in Cheshire, but the sport obtained on the 22nd 
was tar in excess of any former visit. The Grey Drake 
andl Yellow Dun were in swarms upon the water, and 
teeding upon the same was not confined to the trout for 
every description of fish were simply gorging on these 
two flies. In the evening the rise was over, and then 
came the bottom fisher’s chance, and in two hours good 
baskets were obtained. It is significant of the advanced 
state ot the fash this season when we say that not a 
single coarse fish taken, with the exception of gudgeon 
bore any traces of spawn ; the dace were entirelj^ free 
and in splendid condition, so that nothing but honour 
compelled the return of fine fish to the river to be 
angled for further on. 
