108 MR. G. R. BRYANT 



to the right, and his keeper, Mr. Clinker, scout the 

 idea of such a danger. Floods are practically unknown 

 in this portion of the Itchen, owing to the rapid flow of 

 its waters and the vicinity of its source. The author 

 suggested to Mr. Bryant that many of the weaker 

 fry must be forced by the rapid current against the 

 lower screens in these breeding canals or boxes, and 

 thus destroyed. " That," said Mr. Bryant, " is 

 exactly what happens, and we thus get rid, by natural 

 means, of the small percentage of weaklings, and 

 retain none but healthy and vigorous fish." 



To show the richness of the Itchen water at this 

 place, the following extract from a letter written by 

 Mr. E. Valentine Corrie will be found most 

 interesting : 



" LOWER CHILLAND, 



"July 10, 1900. 



" The weather was remarkably hot, and the heat only occasionally 

 tempered by a south-west breeze, just strong enough to cause some 

 ripple when it pressed against the run of the stream. For two weeks 

 previously trout had been very difficult to take, and when I waded 

 into the shallow water immediately below Chilland foot-bridge, I 

 scarcely expected more than a brace or so of IJ-pounds fish. The 

 rise commenced shortly after 10.30 a.m., and trout came well to a 

 medium-sized Olive. Very quickly I had three nice fish, and as I 

 saw large numbers of them taking up their feeding stations behind 

 the bars of weed which had been left across the wide shallow, and 

 judged that an extra big day might be in store, I returned to the 

 house and directed that some of the fish-cages in which the Chilland 

 Fishery trout are stored before being sent on a journey should be 

 taken down to the shallow, and placed in the water near below the 

 place where I was fishing. The rise of fly was never very strong, 

 but continued all day, and by 4 p.m. I had landed fourteen and a half 

 brace of trout averaging over 1J pounds apiece, and placed them in 

 the storing cages. Of course, a great many fish of less weight also 

 came to hand, but were at once returned to the river. Of the 



