1 9 2 Poachers a n d Poach ing. 



The salmon offer fair marks, and the poacher 

 obtains them by spearing. A pronged instru- 

 ment is driven into the fleshy shoulders of the 

 fish, and it is hauled out on to the bank. In 

 this way sometimes more fish are obtained in a 

 single night than can be carried away ; and when 

 the gang is chased by the watchers the fish have 

 generally to be left behind, as they are difficult 

 things to carry. The flesh of spawning fish is 

 loose and watery, and is most insipid and taste- 

 less. It is, however, sold to the poorest class of 

 people at a few pence per pound. In one out- 

 lying village during last close season poached 

 salmon was so common that the cottagers fed 

 their poultry upon it through the whole winter. 

 It is said that several fish were taken each over 

 twenty pounds in weight. Another way of 

 securing salmon and trout from the spawning 

 " redds " is by means of " click-hooks." These 

 are simply large salmon-hooks bound together 

 shaft to shaft and attached to a long cord ; a 

 bit of lead balances them and adds weight. 

 These are used in deep rivers, where spearing 

 by wading is impracticable. When a fish is 

 seen the hooks are simply thrown beyond it, 

 and then gently dragged until they come imme- 

 diately beneath ; a sharp " click " usually sends 

 them into the soft under-parts of the fish, which 

 is then drawn out. That natural poacher, the 

 pike, is frequently ridded from trout streams in 



