The Red Cloud chief., 1900-05-25
FISHERS SAD LOT.
DILEMMA IN WHICH ENGLISH
ANGLERS ARE PLACED.
"a Fish In the Thames to Catch. and
when There Arc Can tie Fish?-
Private Ownership OF o PICTURESQUE
Waterway.

For years II has been the ambition
Of fishermen and fish lovers to re-
stock the Thames river with salmon.
For this purpose the Thames Salmon
Association was formed. n has lone
good work, which some day may re-
suit in accomplishing the object for
which the association was organized.
Hut a new disturbing element has en-
tered the question. Whereas there
can be no fishing in the Thames now
because the fish refuse to live In those
foul waters. when the river Is made
so clean that fish may live there the
pubic fishing privileges will be cur
tailed seriously, II not entirely abol-
lshed. The land under water near
the banks and on both sides OF the
river seems to belong TO private per
sons. In the Middle Ages the Thames.
then a pure and limpid stream even
at London Bridge. gave a prolihc
yield OF salmon: and there is a tradi-
ton that a special clause was inserted
In the indenturcs of London "prent-
tees" that they should not be COM
PEELED to eat salmon more than twice
a week. AS time went on, however.
the growing foulness OF the river
brought about n noticeable diminution
in the number of salmon taken by the
netsmen in the higher reaches above
T~eddington, until. In 1922. n magnifi-
cent clean-run fish of forty pounds,
the last Of his race. was netted In the
"neighborhood OF Boulter's Lock, and
was forwarded by It's captor to King
William ". Since that date salmon
In the Thames have been extinct.
with the disappearance Of salmon
from the Thames the rights and priv
ileges OF the riparian owners all along
the river from London to Cricklade
became comparatively valueless. and
were therefore. allowed to lapse. Ex-
cept in isolated cases. no objection
was taken by the riparian owners to
the fisherman using the Thames as
his playground. until as time went or
the public began to- regard the priv
ileges thus conceded to them as theil
rights, and even went to the Length
of contesting the strength OF thei
case on several occasions In various
Of the law courts. but In almost ever,
instance with disastrous results L
themselves.
These rights OF the riparian owner
will hold an important position In tn
event OF the efforts OF the Thame
Salmon Association proving success
full.
The Thames, from end to end, ha
as many, or perhaps more, monast
houses on its banks than any oth'
river IN the kingdom, and nearly Il
whole Of its fisheries were the pro-
erty Of these houses. At their oil
solution, however, their fisheries can
with the rest of their property In,
the hands OF the king, who transferrt
them for services rendered to his ow
favorites. These grants, as 1t WI
proved some twenty years & by Il
evidence given by the Royal Con
mission on the Thames Fisheries. al
as valid to-day as they We're witt
they were transferred from the MOI
asteries to their next owners. wit
the exception OF isolated stretche
at Reading, Abingdon. Oxford an
perhaps, one or two other places
minor Importance, the whole Of Il
Thames from the City Stone
" Staines to Cricklade, in Wiltshire,
- in private hands. and although tn
=. portion OF the river from the mou
" of its estuary at Yantlet creek
=. Kent to the Free Water Stone belon
=. to the public in perpetuo, there Is
:. knowing what ancient rights may
brought to light, and how far ev
on this part of the Thames the II
erty OF the anglers may be restrict
II 1t ever again becomes a salm
river