The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-01-03 00:00:00

FIELD SPORTS FOR JANUARY.

(From the Annals of Sporting.]
Grouse shooting closed on the 10th of last month (December);
and, therefore, these birds are no longer an object for the sports-
man ; indeed, they are generally very difficult to approach before
the end of September ; nor are they to be fairly killed, In any great
quantity, after that period. Poachers have various devices, by
means of which they bring grouse within their reach ; when the
hills ate covered with snow, they approach them by placing a
shirt over their clothes, and rendering themselves as nearly the
colour of the snow as possible. On such occasions, considerable
destruction frequently ensues, as the birds are often seen huddled',
together, and many thus fell victims to a sirgle discharge as they
sit on the snow.
On the first of next month (February) the season for shooting
partridges and pheasants will close, leaving a more than ordinary
residue of the latter, perhaps, in consequence of the general and
continued wetness of the season. In the latter end of the month
of August, the lower grounds in the neighbourhood of Altar,
Sephton, &c. in Lancashire, were completely overflown ; in con.
sequence of which, the partridges were driven to the higher
grounds, and appeared as if they were terrified at the inundation,
as in Lvdiate (an adjoining township) sixteen brace were killed
by two persons, upon a small space of ground—the birds lay like
stones ; nor was It without difficulty that many of them were forced
on the wing.
Woodcocks do not appear to have equalled expectation. At the
commencement of the season they presented themselves more nu.
merously than usual, or in other words, there seemed a more
than ordinary number of avast couriers; yet, the main body
proved comparatively small, from the destruction, in all probe.
bility, which could scarcely fail to ensue from the remarkably
stormy weather which occurred about the time of their pas-
sage. These remarks will apply, in a great degree, to snipes,
though many of the latter remain all the year, and breed in our
marshes.

M'ild.fowl have continued in the immediate neighbourhood of
large rivers, and on the coast, in the usual quantity : few hare yet
made their appearance in the interior of the country.
Coursing has been of an inferior order; or, at least, hares have
not run so well as usual before greyhounds,i though excellent
chases have been obtained by harriers. It is generally supposed,
and no doubt truly, that hares never run well in wet weather.
In fact, such must be the case; if, for instance, a hare be driven
into a soft fallow, by greyhounds, she can scarcely escape, as the
superior length and strength of the dog enable him to make his
way much faster than it is possible for a hare, who sinks up to
her belly at every stroke. When she is driven by harriers, she
can choose her own ground, and, therefore, avoid soft fellows,
Of similar places, where she must encounter the most perilous
disadvantages. Hence, perhaps, we see the reason why the hare
has run well before harriers, but been easily killed by grey-
hounds.

On the 22d of November, a counting party met at Hoo-green,
near Knutaford, Cheshire, when several matches were run. A black
bitch killed three hares out of four, single-handed.
From what has been stated respecting the weather, it will easily
be perceived that fox-hunting must have suffered in consequence.
The weather has not been only remarkably wet, but stormy also,
almost beyond comparison. The morning of the 7th of the month of
November, in this respect, exhibited extraordinary and awful
appearances. The wind shifted repeatedly ; in a few minutes, dark,
murky clouds appeared in various directions in the northern parts
of England, which were carried about with rapidity, discharging
their contents as they passed in a sparing manner. Some of these
threatening clouds seemed to be charged with electric fluid, and it
is said that flashes of lightning were emitted. Large hailstones
fell with uncommon fury about nine o'clock, followed by several
hours of rain. In such weather hunting must suffer exceedingly :
in fact, several packs of harriers, in the neighbourhood of the
writer, suspended their operations. In regard to fox-hunting, in
particular, as it constitutes the first of field sports, so it may be
justly remarked, that, at no former period, were there known so
many, or such splendid establishments.
Axo wo.—The only fish that will take a bait during January,
are jack, pike, roach, and chub, which should be angled for in the
middle niche day ; and, if the water is free in places from ice, and
tolerably clear, an hour or two's sport may be expected.
The last year, like its predecessor. has been very unfavourable
for angling; a cold, backward spring, wet summer, and unsettled
weather during the autumnal months, has baffled, and, generally
speaking, disappointed the skill and perseverance of the angler.
IVe do not recollect, from many years' experience and observation,
such a succession of floods as the last has produced. The rivers
were hardly ever in a fit state for angling, from the foulness of the
heavy waters which continually presented themselves to the lovers
of angling, in their placatory excursions. The river Lea has
been flooded sixteen times since Christmas, 1823. Very few
trout have been killed in the southern counties, the trout.
streams, being small rivers, were seldom free from heavy, foul
torrents of water and eddy, boiling like whirlpools t when this
state of things somewhat subsided, and the summer approached,
the May-fly was anxiously looked for : the angler was again
doomed to disappointment, for these killing flies shiwed themselves
but for • few days, and disappeared entirely, those beautiful and
fragile insects not being able to contend against the heavy rains
which, st this season, fell and carried them away ere they were able
fully to expand their wings.
Gudgeons, in the spring months, were very scarce in the river
Lea, we mean that part of the Lea within three miles of the metro.
polls, where the large Thames-gudgeons come to spawn, at which
season few fresh-water fish can compare with them, for firmness of
flesh and sweetness of flavour.

Fly-fishing for chub, dace, he., either by whipping for them
with an artificial fly, or dapping with a cock-chafer, moth, grass-
hopper, or bee, during the summer, was attended with little sac-
ems, from the heavy and foul water with which the rivers were sur.
charged.
In the months of October and November there was some fine
weather, and the waters were in fair e..adition ; many heavy barbel
and roach were killed in the Thames, and numerous pike, jack,
well-fed heavy carp, chub, and roach, in the river Lea, during the
fine weather above alluded to ; but, from that time to the present,
there has not been a chance for the angler's getting a brace of any
kind offish; and few, I believe, since the middle of November,
have wetted a line.

6PORTIIVG INTELLIGENCE.