by Colin Burbidge
Richard Perrott, eldest son of James Perrott was born in 1840. He would follow in his Father’s footsteps as a wheelwright, Dartmoor guide and a supreme fisherman.
The Upper Teigh River near Chagford
In a 1932 interview with the “Western Times “he recalled helping his father as a youngster take the Rev. Alfred Earle (later Dean of Exeter and Bishop of Marlborough) on a day’s fishing on the Teign. Richard carried the Reverend’s lunch basket and rod, and they caught 62 trout that day. As he got into his carriage, he gave Richard half a sovereign “I had never been so rich in my life” he declared. In the same interview he recalled that on his 80th birthday, he walked 8 miles and caught 18 trout.
“Trout are not so numerous as in the old days. They were more plentiful when the lead mines at Christow prevented the salmon from getting into the upper reaches. On one occasion I killed 1000 trout in 10 days and on one day alone, 122. I started at 5 a.m. and finished at 2p.m. It is not the neatest fly that kills. The modern fly is too small. Fish rise to them but do not take.”
The cause of the pollution in the Teign, was the Wheal Exmouth mine at Christow. Developed in 1850 to mine lead and barytes. At its height it had 70 underground workers.
In 1878 the “Western Times” devoted a full column, to this problem.
“No fish, of course could withstand this deadly torrent of noxious washings of virgin ore.
A short period of such pestilence sufficed to destroy all animal life in the doomed river, and as no salmon were able to make their way from the sea to their breeding grounds, the Teign might be struck off the roll of England’s salmon rivers”.
Due to cheaper imports, Wheal Exmouth at Christow was shut down in 1880.
His finest skill was the making of small, intricate flies for fishermen. Among his customers for flies were, Charles Dickens, Baring Gould, Lord Grey of Falloden, R.D. Blackmore and Charles Kingsley.
In 1934, 2 years before his death, Old Dick read of the forthcoming marriage of Princess Marina of Greece to the Duke of Kent. He took it upon himself to make a salmon and trout fly in royal colours, and sent them, in a presentation box to the Princess.
He duly received this royal reply:
“The Duchess of Kent desires me to thank Mr. Richard Perrott for his wedding gift of trout and salmon flies. Her Royal Highness is greatly touched by the gift, and amazed that Mr. Perrott should be able to do such fine work without the aid of glasses”.
Richard Perrott died on May 1st, 1936 aged 96.