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Teddington Banks are remarkable for good gudgeons, roach, &c.

Kingston-wick and Kingston, are famous for barbel, roach, and dace.

At Hampton and Sunbury there is good angling for barbel, roach, dace, chub, gudgeons, and skeggers; and from the Aits, for trout and large perch.

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Walton Deeps and Shepperton Pool abound with large barbel and dace.

At and about Windsor is a vast variety of all sorts of fish; but if a man be found angling in another's water, (without leave) he is fined very high by the court of that town, if he only catches a single gudgeon, &c.

Of the rivers that empty themselves into the Thames, and of others which are not far from it: I shall begin with those on the north-side.

1. Ilford river, the upper part of which abounds with roach, dace, and some perch, but between Ilford and the Thames, especially about three miles from the town, there is pike.

2. Woodford river, stored with perch, chub, roach, and dace.

3. Stratford river affords the angler good diversion for roach, dace, chub, perch, &c.

4. Bow river, having the same fish in it as the Stratford river.

5. Hackney river, having plenty of large barbel, chub, roach, dace, gudgeon, eels, and lampreys. In this river the barbels, eels, and gudgeons, are very fine. The river Lea runs here, and the higher you go up it the greater sport you will have the Rye-house,near Hoddesdon, (famous for the plot is an excellent part to go to for diversion.

The back waters near Tottenham Mills abound with fish.

6. Waltham river, besides large barbel, chub, roach, dace, gudgeon, and eels, has good store of fine pike, and some carp.

7. The New River, pretty well stored with chub, roach, dace, gudgeon, and eels.

8. Brentford river, a good one formerly, but now much abused by poachers; but the angler may meet with some chub, roach, dace, and perch.

9. Hounslow river, well stored with roach, dace, perch, pike, and gudgeons.

11. Uxbridge river, excellent for its large and fat trouts; but as the weter is rented, not only leave must be obtained to angle in it; but you must pay so much per pound for what you kill. Denham, near Uxbridge, is a very famous place. Having now done with the north side, I proceed to the south of the Thames.

1. Deptford river, now very much decayed, and has but a few fish in it, as roach, dace, and flounders; though by chance you may meet with

a trout.

2. Lewisham river, in which are some good trouts, large roach, chub, gudgeon, perch, and dace.

3. Wandsworth river, well stored with gudgeons, dace, flounders, perch, pike, and some carp, and trouts; very large silver eels are often taken there.

4. Mitcham river; its principal fish are trouts. 5. Merton river, for trouts also.

6. Carshalton river, abounding with trouts, and other white fishes.

7. Mousley river, yielding perch, jack, roach,

dace, chub, gudgeons, eels, flounders, barbels, and trouts.

8. Esher river, good for jacks, perch, chub, roach, dace, gudgeons, eels, flounders, barbels, and trouts.

9. Cobham river, stored with plenty of good trouts, fat and large, as also dace, perch, chubs, jacks, and gudgeons.

10. Weybridge river, affording good diversion for carp, some of which weigh eight or nine pounds; also jack, roach, dace, flounders, popes, large bleak, barbel, and gudgeons.

11. Byfleet river, wherein are very large pikes, jacks, and tench; perch, of eighteen inches long; good carp, large flounders, bream, roach, dace, gudgeons, popes, large chub and eels.

I shall conclude this account of the Thames, and the principal rivers that fall into and compose it, with the following beautiful lines of Mr. Pope:

First the fam'd authors of his ancient name,
The winding Isis, and the fruitful Thame;
The Kennet swift, for silver eels renown'd;
The Lodden slow, with verdant alders crown'd,
Cole, whose dark streams his flow'ry islands lave;
And chalky Wey, that rolls a milky wave:
The blue transparent Vandalis appears;
The gulfy Lee his sedgy tresses rears;
And sullen Mole, that hides his diving flood;
And silent Darant, stain'd with Danish blood.

СНАР.

CHAP. VII.

OF THE GAME LAWS RELATIVE TO ANGLING.

1st. TIE PENALTY OF FISHING IN PONDS AND OTHER PRIVATE FISHERIES.

1. ANY may erect a fish-pond without licence, because it is a matter of profit, for the increase of victuals. 2. Inst. 199.

2. If any trespass in ponds be therefore attainted at the suit of the party, great and large amends shall be awarded according to the trespass; and they shall have three years imprisonment, and a'ter shall make fine at the king's pleasure, (if they have whereof) and then shall find good surety tl at after they shall not commit the like trespass: and if they have not whereof to make fine, after three years imprisonment, they shall find like surety; and if they cannot find surety, they shall abjure the realm. And if none sue within the year and day, the king shall have suit. S. Ed. I. c. 20. Note, those are trespassers in ponds, who endeavour to take fish therein, 2. Inst. 200.

3.

3. If any person shall unlawfully break, cut, or destroy, any head or dam of a fish pond, or shall wrongfully fish therein, with an intent to

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take and kill fish, he shall, on conviction, at the suit of the king, or of the party, at the assizes or sessions, be imprisoned three months, and pay treble damages; and after the three months expired, shall find sureties for his good abearing for seven years, or remain in prison till he doth. 5. El. c. 21. s. 2. 6.

4. Whereas divers idle, disorderly, and mean persons, betake themselves to the stealing, taking, and killing of fish, out of ponds, pools, motes, stews, and other several waters and rivers, to the great damage of the owners thereof; it is enacted, that if any person shall use any net, angle, hair, noose, troll, or spear; or shall lay any wears, pots, fishi-hooks, or other engines; or shall take any fish by any means or device whatever, or be aiding thereunto, in any river, stew, pond, mote, or other water, without the consent of the lord or owner of the water; and be thereof convicted by confession, or oath of one witness, before one justice, in one month after the offence, every such offender in stealing, taking, or killing fish, shall for every such offence give to the party injured such recompence, and in such time as the justice shall appoint, not exceeding treble damages; and moreover shall pay down to the overseers for the use of the poor, such sum, not exceeding 10s. as the justice shall think meet; in default of payment, to be levied by distress; for want of distress to be committed to the house of correction, not exceeding one month, unless he enter into a bond with one surety to the party injured, not exceeding 101. never to offend in like manner, 22 and 23 C. 2. c. 25. s. 7. And the justice may take, cut, and destroy, all such angles, spears, hairs, nooses, trolls, wears, pots, fish

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