144 Glimpses of Trout. [Sess. 



under 8 lb. had swallowed a half-grown water-vole, a frog, and 

 two small trout. 



Taking all the natural enemies of trout combined, the sum- 

 total of the mischief done by them is insignificant when com- 

 pared with the wholesale depredations of the poaching fraternity. 

 It is but right to acknowledge that, so far as the Legislature is 

 concerned, protection has been extended to trout by statute 

 law. The defect, however, is in the administration of that 

 law. Unless it be an occasional gamekeeper — who has gen- 

 erally other work to attend to — or a public-spirited shepherd, 

 the poaching fraternity pursue their depredations without dread 

 or molestation. For many years I have been aware that some 

 of the finest trouting streams in Lanarkshire, Peeblesshire, and 

 adjacent counties have been ever and anon harried by nets 

 and kindred devices. This practice is invariably pursued dur- 

 ing the night and early morning, the effect being that while all 

 the small trout are left, few of the larger ones escape. This, I 

 may state, is the true secret of the falling off in the numbers of 

 large trout, and the real source of that disappointment of which 

 the modern angler has uniformly to complain. I see no remedy 

 for this state of matters except by the formation of local Anglers' 

 Associations, and the employment of proper authorities to pro- 

 tect our rivers and trouting-streams. The expense would be 

 so trifling as not to be compared with the advantages certain 

 to be derived. I would also recommend that a substantial 

 reward be given to all shepherds, gamekeepers, station-masters, 

 and others who would communicate such information as would 

 lead to the conviction of those despicable offenders. If any 

 angler desires to have his indignation stirred against this class, 

 let him examine those trout which are occasionally to be seen 

 in the windows of some of our fish-merchants, and he will 

 notice upon many of them the marks of the meshes of the 

 poacher's net. A few swift and heavy penalties is all that 

 would be required to put an end to the proceedings of the mer- 

 cenary trout-netters, who are veritable cowards at best. Were 

 it not that it is my desire to avoid here everything of a per- 

 sonal nature, I could easily point to one or two of those shop- 

 windows which are notable for the exposure of brown trout. 



I would further suggest a close time for brown or yellow 

 trout. It is surprising that while a close time for salmon and 



