i88 THE SEA-TROUT 



the escape pipes are clear of obstruction, and the glass grilles (or the 

 baskets) are all in their places submerged to the proper depth. If the 

 weather is specially severe, we have provided a small oil stove to keep 

 the temperature of the house above freezing-point. Candles or stable 

 lamps are also at hand, as the winter day gives brief light to work by. 



It will be locally known where sea-trout are accustomed to spawn, 

 and it can as a rule be anticipated which of the small autumn spates 

 will first bring them on to the redds. Although two or three visits may 

 be required to produce the necessary quantity of ova it is best, if 

 possible, to secure the earlier spawning fish, as these will probably not 

 already have parted with any eggs. One finds many partially spent 

 fish amongst the later runs. 



We may suppose, then, that as the burns have " come down " 

 through the night, the fish are to-day likely to be on the redds — and it 

 is an easy matter for a keeper to bring early word of the fact — and now 

 the dogcart, or, better still, the motor car, is awaiting orders ready to 

 start at a moment's notice, as we may have some little distance to travel. 

 Our hatchery manager — who will be the intelligent employee appointed 

 to that post — has meantime been putting aboard the vehicle two white 

 enamelled tin basins of 15 in. diameter, two white enamelled tin pails 

 with lids, and a couple of kitchen towels, the use of which will appear 

 immediately. 



Our man has donned his salmon waders as will also his three or four 

 assistants who are already on the ground. They have with them, or 

 we can bring, the necessary nets, and they will have provided themselves 

 with sticks to beat the water or prod under the banks. 



Arrived at our destination we are told that several pairs of fish are 

 lying side by side, or moving about in the shallow gravelly runs in which 

 sea-trout prefer to spawn, and from where we are we can see the 

 spray thrown from the tail of a cock fish as he dashes after an obtrusive 

 burn trout. The stream, we may suppose, is some fifteen or twenty 



