SPORT of Thanet from the mainland. The present mouth of the Stour is at Sandwich, and the arm of the sea into which it flowed has disappeared, having given way to breezy marshes. Navigation is no longer possible as far as Fordwich and Canterbury, but in the olden days the largest craft came up the Stour as far as these two historic towns. No one would ever have dreamed that the navigation, which in the first instance drove the angler away, would ever so far disappear as to allow him to regain possession of the waters. The Stour at Fordwich is now quite a shallow stream, but it holds a few good trout, as well as a good number of coarse fish, of which roach are the chief. Angling was held in high esteem in this part of the county in ancient times, and the fishing rights of towns and corpora- tions were very jealously guarded. Izaak Walton, speaking of the ' Fordidge ' trout, says of them that they are ' accounted the rarest of fish ; many of them near the bigness of a salmon, but known by their different colour.' It is hardly likely that these fish were the ordinary river trout of our own time, and the probability is that they were sea-trout. At one time these fish, whatever they were, when they came up the river to Fordwich to spawn on the gravelly shallows thereabouts, were much sought after by the Mayor and Corporation, who would seem to have had their separate rights and privileges with regard to the capture of the fish. But the corporation appears invariably to have enjoyed the best of the sport, and had recourse to a cunning device to ensure a good bag. Every year when the fish came up the river these gentle- men caused the bed of the stream to be staked out in the form of a V, so that the ascending trout should all be driven inwards towards its apex. At this point a gap was left, and when the fish had become thoroughly accustomed to the arrangement, a bag-net was placed over the opening in such a manner that the fish, though able to enter it, could not get out again. The principal angling stations on the Stour are Ashford, Wye, Chilham, Canterbury, Fordwich, Sturry, Grove Ferry, and Sarre, and the waters are preserved by a number of societies and private anglers. In the Canterbury district the Stour from Shalms- ford to the cathedral town and from thence to Sturry is preserved by the Stour Fishery Association and the Lower Stour Fishery. Hereabouts there is some very good fly-fish- ing for trout, and tickets by the week or month are issued to the public by the associa- tions. Trout are not allowed to be taken in these waters except with the fly, and all fish under 13 inches in length must be returned to the river. At Wye there is good roach and pike fishing in the winter, but in summer time the weeds interfere greatly with this class of sport. Roach also afford good sport at Brook, which is situated about two miles from Wye. The river at Chilham is preserved by Colonel Hardy. From Fordwich Bridge to Pluck's Gutter fishing is obtainable by the public from Mr. Thomas W. Gomm, who preserves this stretch of water, and issues w-eekly and season tickets. No roach under 9 inches in length may be retained. June, July, August and September are the best fishing months in these w^aters, but roach and pike provide good sport in the winter months. Blood Point near Grove Ferry is a noted hole for bream. At this part the river is tidal, and holds roach, bream, pike and rudd, with here and there a few dace. Trout are not very common, and none under 16 inches in length are allowed to be taken. During certain seasons of the year considerable shoals of grey mullet and some bass and sea-trout, together with an occasional flounder, work up the river from Sandwich, and cause a good deal of annoyance to the roach angler, whose delicate tackle is not infrequently broken when large bass or mullet take his bait. The latter afford very good sport for local anglers. For roach the fishermen of the district rely chiefly on bread-crust and boiled wheat, and the writer has found ground bait and paste mixed to be very killing. Holiday anglers staying at Margate, Ramsgate, Deal and Heme Bay frequent the Stour at Grove Ferry, which is easily reached from any of those places. The banks at this part of the river are steep, and a landing-net with a long handle is necessary. The stream runs swiftly here- abouts at times, making the use of large well - shotted floats a necessity. Ledger-tackle instead of float-tackle is preferred by some anglers in these tidal waters on account of the strength of the currents. The river is clearer above Grove Ferry, and lighter tackle may be used for roach and bream. Among the few rivers of Kent which may lay claim to being considered good waters for trout the Darent is the most important, although, of course, the upper waters of the Stour are also well known as the favourite home of the ' speckled beauty.' The Darent is everywhere strictly preserved, and its principal angling stations are Sevenoaks^ Dunton Green, Eynsford, and Farningham 507
