152 THE WONDERFUL TROUT 



to preserve or spare the huge, ugly ; long, lanky 

 twenty-pound kelts, preferring, as we would 

 always do, the sport to be obtained from 

 smaller fish, and more of them. More real 

 sport, we hold, can be got out of grilse and 

 small salmon than from all the glory of kill- 

 ing a big fish. 



Of course a cry, raucous and indignant, 

 may probably come from ' those who go down 

 to the sea' in boats, who often forget to lift the 

 leaders on a Saturday night, and love to see 

 a ' monster ' on their fish-slabs, far away and 

 above the real average of their native streams. 



The above are points which we hold ought 

 to have some consideration should new legis- 

 lation (and action) be taken in regard to our 

 Scottish streams. Our small spring fish are 

 our most vigorous and best breeders, and 

 ought to be encouraged, but the late autumn 

 big fish, which spawn in the lower reaches of 

 our rivers, often amongst mud, and lose half 

 their ova, ought to be less encouraged than 

 they are ; and the same remark may be held, 

 in our opinion, as applicable to large trout 

 which are far over the average of their native 

 streams. 



