278 TROUT FISHING 



The prejudice against big hand-fed trout that 

 undoubtedly exists may lead many people to question 

 the value of such stocking when it has been done. 

 It must be conceded that the whole business is 

 artificial, which is against it. But there is a great 

 deal to be said on the other side in this instance. 

 In the first place, by no other plan could the fishery 

 have been turned into a heavily-stocked trout water 

 at once; possibly by no other plan could it have 

 been turned into a heavily-stocked trout water at 

 all. Further, the water is only half an hour away 

 from London, and it is obvious that even artificial 

 trout fishing within such easy reach is a very valu- 

 able thing. The fact that practically all the rods 

 available were taken up at once shows that the 

 opportunity was keenly appreciated. When you 

 have a water on the Test which is capable of growing 

 trout easily, quickly, and naturally to a large size, 

 the big deteriorating stock fish is almost certainly 

 a mistake; but the Colne, with its long tradition 

 of coarse fish, is in a very different category at 

 present. 



I had one or two opportunities of observing the 

 results in different years and was not so impressed 

 with the idea of fishing for tame fish as I expected 

 to be. They were rather easier to catch than wild 

 fish, perhaps, but not much. Anyhow I failed 

 dismally to allure any of the monsters, and I came 



