RUNNING WATER NECESSARY 



105 



For another thing, the trout do not grow so quickly, 

 and again, they are not accustomed to the natural 

 food on which they will have to live when they are 

 liberated. The best food for trout, as long as a 

 plentiful supply is available, is undoubtedly water 

 insect life in its varying stages. Small fish, such as 

 minnows, gudgeon, etc., are the next best food, al- 

 though trout, when fed on this latter class of food, 

 frequently develop cannibalistic tendencies, while 

 probably the food least beneficial, in an all-round sense, 

 is the animal food on which hand-fed trout have 

 frequently to depend. 



Again, the loss of the strong, plentiful and naturally 

 running waters creates a less developed, less powerful, 

 and less healthy fish. 



Taking the stock fish of the ordinary trout-breeding 

 establishment, the length of time which it takes them 

 to recover from their breeding operations is the greater 

 owing to this artificial and restricted flow of water. 

 Fungus is not so easily shaken off, neither are the 

 wounds and abrasions of the breeding-time so quickly 

 healed. It may be accepted as a fact that trout should 

 have plenty of water, plenty of space, and plenty of 

 food, and the more natural the conditions of these 

 three factors the better the results in trout breed- 

 ing. 



To those, therefore, who may be inclined to devote 

 their attention to trout breeding, I would strongly 

 recommend the adoption of breeding pounds situated, 

 when possible and where safe, directly in the by-paths 



