How to obtain it. 151 



benefit of those who are about to commence for the first time, 

 and with a view to preventing blunders of such a kind, I will 

 briefly give some simple directions. 



There are so many ways of capturing the fish that I will not 

 enter much into that subject, beyond saying that we use the 

 most convenient and effective nets that ingenuity can devise, for 

 taking the fish in the quickest and simplest way without hurting 

 them. Much must depend upon the nature of the stream from 

 which they are taken ; in some places a simple bag-net will do, in 

 others large landing nets are very effective, and in some a carefully 

 constructed trap-net in which the fish is caught in a bag the 

 moment he strikes is a good net to use. The fish are not being 

 captured by way of sport, but for the most excellent of all reasons, 

 that we may care for the eggs, amongst which there is such great 

 destruction when left to nature. 



The fish then are to be handled very gently and taken great 

 care of, and after we have " stripped " them of their eggs they 

 will be very carefully returned to the water from which they came. 

 It is the greatest mistake to suppose that any harm is done to 

 them by taking their eggs. I never yet saw a fish killed by being 

 spawned. 



There is danger in leaving them too long in tubs or cans, 

 however ; they may die or jump out, and they should, therefore, 

 be detained as short a time as possible, and should be carefully 

 watched while they are waiting. An excellent safeguard is to 

 stretch a piece of fine netting over the tub and turn a current of 

 water through it, which will keep the fish in a lively condition for 

 an hour or two. I have used perforated cans or cages sunk in 

 the stream, and fish may be safely left in these for several 

 hours if necessary. If not crowded they may be left over a night 

 when circumstances really demand it, but I never keep them so 

 long if I can avoid it, as they rub the slime off their bodies and 

 require to be dipped before being set at liberty. 



Having provided the necessary nets and a tub or tubs, the 

 fish caught should be sorted. To do this place the bag of one of 

 the landing-nets in a tub so that the fish can be placed in it and 

 kept there. A net such as the one described in my chapter on 

 stocking, and which is used for reviving the fish before or after a 



