94 FISH FARMING : 



and only they should be planted. I do not make this asser- 

 tion idly. I ha.ve made most careful inquiries, and have per- 

 sonally visited fisheries and fish-farms all over the United 

 Kingdom, and it has always been my most earnest effort to 

 ascertain, and where possible to see for myself, the conditions 

 under which certain fish thrive and others do not. It is a 

 complex matter, but not beyond solving. At least, we may 

 take it for granted that in many cases where only troutlings 

 are found in a water the remedy lies rather in the introduction 

 of more food into such water than in an ill-considered scheme 

 cf stocking with some other variety of trout. The judicious 

 introduction of new blood i.e., brown trout from some other 

 British water is at times advisable, but more often it is 

 merely a. matter of food. It is quite possible also that a water 

 may be over-stocked, and, if so, the fish are sure to degenerate 

 in size and condition. In such a case the remedy is obvious. 

 I think I am right in asserting that the brown trout proper 

 (Salmo fario) has reached a higher stage of perfection in this 

 country than in. any other. It is one of the noblest of game 

 fishes, and as a surface feeder it has noi peer. This latter fact 

 alone should, and does, endear it to every British angler, and, 

 therefore, I repeat, wherever it will thrive there it should be 

 encouraged ; and, what is more, the variety should be kept as 

 pure as possible. But, after the whole of the suitable waters 

 in the British Isles have been stocked, with British trout, 

 there will still remain many thousands of acres of water in 

 which they will not " do " ; and where it is possible to populate 

 these waters with some other variety of Salmonidse the work 

 should be done. In my concluding remarks on the formation 

 of ponds and lakes, I express the opinion that many coarse fi,h 

 waters in this country could be stocked with rainbow trout, 

 and I s^ive my reasons for thinking why it should be done. I 

 repeat the opinion here in order to remind my readers that 

 much water lies to their hand which might be improved 'vith- 

 out any interference with the stock of brown trout in Uie 

 country, and there would still remain ample for coarse-fishing 

 purposes. 



