The salmon and sea trout rivers of England and Wales Volume 1 - Softcover

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1904 edition. Excerpt: ...about 12 miles. From Llanidloes to the Montgomeryshire border... „ 33 „ Through the County of Shropshire......... „ 65 „ Stourport to Worcester............... „ 14 „ Worcester to Tewkesbury............... „ 14,, Tewkesbury to Gloucester............... „ 12 „ Gloucester to Bello Pool, where the estuary begins... „ 10 „ From Bello Pool to mouth of Bristol Avon...... „ 25 „ 185 Its tributaries are numerous, but those of Montgomeryshire and above the Vrynwy junction are but of little account as matters are at present, for few salmon ever reach there. The Vrynwy, which falls in on the left bank at the Shropshire border, is a very large tributary, which would become a fine breeding ground if there were fish to stock it. Below this junction all the streams falling in on the left bank are useless for spawning grounds, for salmon do not ascend there, while on the right bank there is the Dowles Brook, a favourite spawning place, and joining the main stream above Bewdley. Then there is no other tributary of importance until the Teme falls in below Worcester. In 1860 this pretty river was blocked by a weir at Powick only a few miles above the junction, and so limited were the Severn spawning grounds at this time, and so severe was the netting, that the salmon fisheries were at their lowest ebb. The navigation weirs, of which there were five constructed in 1842, had done much to ruin the river, as none of them were provided with efficient passes, while above and below Shrewsbury there were also eel weirs, which were illegally fished in the spring, solely for the capture of salmon smolts. The estuary was fished by "putts" and "putchers," each shore being thickly studded with...