120 SALMON AND TROUT. 



The coracle is carried on the back by a band passing 

 through the seat and over the bearer's chest, the paddle resting 

 horizontally against his back, which prevents the bottom of the 

 coracle incommoding the action of the legs in walking. Coracle 

 races are an 'institution,' and afford much fun. The com- 

 petitors start two or three hundred yards on land, with the 

 coracles on their backs ; launch them, get on board, and then 

 * go as they can ' a ' foul ' usually terminating in the capsize 

 of one or both competitors, and no assistance is expected by 

 a shipwrecked adversary. The length of the course is usually 

 about a quarter of a mile. 



On the Wye, Dee, Usk, and Towey the coracle is more 01 

 less generally in use both for rod and net fishing. The well- 

 known Trammel or * Horn-net ' is often worked by this means, 

 extended between two coracles. In rod-fishing a sort of anchor 

 is employed to keep the boat stationary or ' slow ' its course 

 down stream * putting on the drag/ in fact. The two ap- 

 pended views of coracle-fishing were' taken by our artist (who 

 went down to Wales for the purpose) from the picturesque 

 scenery of the Dee. 



From boats to boat-skirts, 'kilts,' and Trousers, is a natural 

 transition. In every kind of fishing and for that matter shoot- 

 ing also it is only a reasonable precaution to carry some sort 

 of waterproof garment to keep at any rate the ' citadel ' dry ; 

 this need form no serious addition to the impedimenta, since 

 such a garment can now be obtained really almost * feather- 

 weight,' and besides in most cases it is carried by a keeper or 

 a ghillie. 



If some sort of protection of this kind is highly desirable 

 when the sportsman is standing up and more or less constantly 

 in movement, how much more is it to be advocated for boat- 

 work where the fisherman has to sit, or (a bad practice) 

 stand, sometimes hour after hour in a steady soak. In such 

 cases some sort of complete rainproof garments, both upper 

 and nether, are simply indispensable, and for the former no 



