THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
133
"Scott (a local Quaker poet) is a name of pious memory. Here is a
quotation from one of his poems :—
' Amwell ! perpetual be thy stream,
Nor ere thy streams be less ;
Thousands who drink thee never dream
Whence flows the boon they bless.'
" Shortly afterwards we come to the smiling village of Stanstead, its
banks decorated by pollard willows. The scene reminds us of many that are
peculiar to Dutch villages."
Thus far Mr. Bramley. We saw all that he describes, and our day was
an ideal one. The sun shone brightly, the air was clear, and the trees
probably at their absolute best in this wonderful summer for foliage ; birds
were numerous, the river was full of fish, which the angling members coveted
in vain—for it was the last day of the close season. On the banks bloomed
an abundance of wild flowers. These were gathered and examined by the
botanical members (including Mr. Arthur Sewell and Mr. Money-Kent).
Nothing that was new to the Lea list was observed—the most notable find
was the "Gold-of-Pleasure'' (Camelina sativa), which occurred on a piece of
waste ground on the banks. Of Mr. W. M. Webb's gatherings of Mollusca
much the same remark applies—nearly all the species previously noted were
found, but no novelties.
Mr. Mark Davies, an experienced Lea angler, very kindly gave us the
benefit of some remarks on the Lea from a fisherman's point of view. The
following notes embody the gist of his observations :—
SOME RANDOM NOTES BY AN OLD ANGLER ON FISHES
OF THE LEA.
By MARK DAVIES, Member of the Gresham Angling Society.
" In venturing to discourse to the members of the Essex Field Club on the
Fishes of the Lea, I cannot but feel there is some presumption on my part, as
I am only able to speak as an old London Angler.
The Lea contains almost every fish that is found in the rivers of
England.
Trout are numerous in the upper waters, but below Hertford such as are
met with, like Thames trout, grow to a large size. Some thirty years ago I
saw one that was caught at Carthagena Weir. It must have weighed nearly
ten pounds ; it was in beautiful condition, but most unlike the true Salmo fario,
having no visible spots, and resembled a salmon in appearance. I described
this fish to my dear old friend, Dr. John Brunton, who told me that he had
once seen a similar fish from the Lea. It was his opinion that they were
distinct from ordinary trout—he called them "landlocked salmon." It has
been stated by Prof. Rasch, of the Christiana University, in a pamphlet he
wrote in 1857, "that salmon grow, thrive and breed without ever visiting
the sea,"
The trout, no doubt, greatly alters in size and appearance according to the
condition of water and food ; this is well illustrated by the manner in which
the New Zealand trout have grown into the size they have in a few years.