262 How to obtain it 



trout are seldom travelled. Not that there is any very real 

 difficulty with them when in the care of an expert ; it may be 

 resolved more into one of cost. I have never met with any serious 

 casualty in conveying large fish, but the labour and constant 

 attention necessary are often considerable. The care of so-called 

 large trout continues to be very much the same as they get 

 older, and I have often compared the work of the fish-farmer with 

 the work of the sheep-farmer. The trout are now counted, herded, 

 sorted, marked, spawned, dipped, etc., very much the same 

 processes that sheep are put through, and each requires its own 

 peculiar attention. 



Let us take a pond of three-year-old trout in hand in autumn. 

 A net must first of all be run through it. Let it be a fine-meshed 

 one, say about thirty-two meshes per foot, counting from knot to 

 knot. It is true a much coarser net will hold the fish, and will 

 be lighter and easier to work, but the larger the mesh the greater 

 is the danger of some of the fish getting their heads fast. Unless it 

 is as I have described, when one mesh gets broken the hole is big 

 enough for a trout to get his nose in, and he will not be to blame if 

 he does not soon get his head forced through. When a fish gills 

 himself the best course is to cut the net away and liberate him ; 

 the net is easily mended, the fish is not, and he is sure to be 

 injured if not speedily released. The size of the net used must 

 of course depend upon the size of the ponds. Take care to have 

 it deep 'enough. It should be at least twice the depth of the 

 water. This causes it to bag more, and with some good weights 

 on the bottom rope, it will work very well. A couple of extra 

 heavy weights are required for each end of this rope, that is for 

 the bottom corners of the net, and when hauled through the pond 

 it should be done slowly, so as to avoid lifting these weights off 

 the bottom. When the place for lifting is reached, it should be 

 done as quickly as possible. With a fine-meshed net which is at 

 least twice the depth of the water, and in length sufficient to 

 sweep the pond, two-thirds of the fish should be enclosed at the 

 first haul, if the work be adroitly done. It is best worked by four 

 persons, although it is often done by two. Anyone can work the 

 upper or cork line, and a couple of boys do very well. The 

 bottom ropes should be managed by two men who understand 



