The Harvest of the Sea: A contribution to the natural and economic history of the British food fishesBertram, James Glass
Science
The Harvest of the Sea: A contribution to the natural and economic history of the British food fishes
Bertram, James Glass
Fish culture; Fisheries -- Great Britain; Fishes
Considering that all its best fishing points are accessible to an
immense population, many of whom are afflicted with a mania for
angling, it is quite wonderful that there is a single fish of any
description left in it; and yet but a year or two ago, the “pen of the
war” bagged a seven-pound trout near Walton Bridge! I may be allowed
just to run over a few Thames localities, and note what fish may be
taken from them. Above Teddington at different places an occasional
trout may be pulled out, but, although the finest trout in the world
may be got in the Thames, they are, unfortunately, so scarce in the
meantime, that it is hardly worth while to lose one’s time in the
all but vain endeavour to lure them from their home. Pike fishing or
trolling will reward the Thames angler better than trouting. There are
famous pike to be taken every here and there—in the deep pools and at
the weirs: and, as the pike is voracious, a moderately good angler,
with proper bait, is likely to have some sport with this fish. But
the speciality of the Thames, so far at least as most anglers are
concerned, is the quantity of fish of the carp kind which it contains,
as also perch. This latter fish may be taken with great certainty about
Maidenhead, Cookham, Pangbourne, Walton, Labham, and Wallingford Road;
and a kindred fish, the pope, in great plenty, may be sought for in the
same localities. Then the bearded barbel is found in greater plenty in
the Thames than anywhere else, and, as it is a fish of some size and
of much courage, it affords great sport to the angler. The best way to
take the barbel is with the “Ledger,” and the best places for this kind
of fishing are the deeps at Kingston Bridge, Sunbury Lock, Halliford,
Chertsey Weir, and in the deeps at Bray, where many a time and oft have
good hauls of barbel been taken. The best times for the capture of
this fish are late in the afternoon or very early in the morning. Chub
are also plentiful in the Thames; and Mr. Arthur Smith, who wrote a
guide to Thames anglers, specially recommended the island above Goring
for chub, also Marlow and the large island below Henley Bridge. This
fish can be taken with the fly, and gives tolerable sport. The roach
is a fish that abounds in all parts of the Thames, especially between
Windsor and Richmond; and in the proper season—September and October—it
will be found in Teddington Weir, Sunbury, Blackwater, Walton Bridge,
Shepperton Lock, the Stank Pitch at Chertsey, and near Maidenhead,
Marlow, and Henley Bridges. At Teddington I may state that the dace is
abundant, and there is plenty of little fish of various kinds that can
be had as bait at most of the places we have named. In fact, in the
Thames there is a superabundance of sport of its kind, and plenty of
accommodation for anglers, with wise fishermen to teach them the art;
and although the best sport that can be enjoyed on this lovely stream
is greatly different from the trout-fishing of Wales or Scotland, it
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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