Thinning a Stream. 251 



with such abominations," so far overcomes his 

 scruples as not only to describe the " abomination," 

 but to inform us that he " killed many fine grayling 

 with it at Leintwardine." Our author clears him- 

 self completely, the Clyde fisher will observe, by 

 pleading that " this most destructive method ought 

 only to be tolerated when the grayling get so far 

 ahead as to want thinning down pretty freely." 

 Presumably such was the condition of affairs when 

 he was at Leintwardine ; and that said grayling did 

 get a thinning, though we cannot be so sure that 

 they " wanted " it, we conclude from what we are 

 further told of " instances where, by the use of it, 

 large 25 or 30 Ib. baskets have been filled and 

 emptied three times over in one day's fishing by 

 a single rod." Verily its success at Leintwardine 

 tempts me to recommend its use on the Clyde, 

 since, whether our grayling " want thinning down " 

 or not, the trout-fisher most assuredly desires to 

 see them thinned. 



