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the mouth of ‘the pretty river Ephra’, now alas! a ditch. In fact, little or nothing appears to now remain of the fishery of the tidal waters but that of whitebait and shrimps. But should the metropolitan sewage be carried to the Maplin Sands, or to any point free of contaminating the waters of the Thames, there is every reason to believe that its once abundance of fish will return to its then purer waters. 1893 160
page 185
Lord Byron – from Don Juan – The following is a note on Izaak Walton: T his sentimental savage, whom it is a mode to quote (amongst novelists) to show their sym- pathy for innocent sports and old songs, teaches how to sew up frogs, and break their legs by way of experiment, in addition to the art of angling, the cruellest, the coldest, and the stupidest of pretended sports. They may talk about the beauties of Nature, but the angler merely thinks about his dish of fish; he has no leisure to take his eyes from off the streams, and a single bite is worth to him more than all the scenery around. Besides, some fish bite best on a rainy day. The whale, the shark, and the tunny fishery have somewhat of noble and perilous in them; even net fishing, trawling etc., are more humane and useful, But angling! No angler can be a good man. 1824 161

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the mouth of ‘the pretty river Ephra’, now alas! a ditch. In fact, little or nothing appears to now remain of the fishery of the tidal waters but that of whitebait and shrimps. But should the metropolitan sewage be carried to the Maplin Sands, or to any point free of contaminating the waters of the Thames, there is every reason to believe that its once abundance of fish will return to its then purer waters.

1893

160

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