270 TROUT FISHING 



Of coui\sc there are many difficulties to be over- 

 come. Pollution has played the mischief m some 

 districts ; in others the available waters are already 

 occupied by coarse fish ; in others the rumour 

 of an extant trout is enough to rouse the neighbour- 

 hood with all its lethal weapons ready for the pro- 

 digy's destruction. But nearly all difficulties can 

 be dealt with by perseverance and ingenuity. Pollu- 

 tion could in many cases be abated by amicable 

 arrangement. In regard to coarse fish, a working 

 compromise could be reached — it is not impossible 

 for good trout to co-exist with numbers of coarse 

 fish so long as the water suits them ; and destructive 

 neighbourhoods could doubtless be educated to 

 higher standards by improved opportunities. The 

 existence of one trout per mile invites counsels 

 of despair such as guns or night-lines. But the 

 appearance of many trout would turn men's thoughts 

 to flies. 



I have seen some interesting and hopeful experi- 

 ments in making trout fishing out of nothing more 

 or less, and I am sure that much more might be 

 done in this way. It needs co-operation and it 

 calls for patience. Anglers must learn to look 

 forward to a rather distant future if they are seeking 

 to put a new trout fishery on an established footing. 

 It takes two or three years for young trout to grow^ 

 to a good size and to start breeding properly, and 



