298 SALMON AND TROUT. 



Fisheries Exhibition certainly gave a stimulus to trout breeding 

 which will not only keep up the tale of fish in well-stocked 

 waters, but restore a fair head of trout in streams whence they 

 have almost disappeared. An interesting article published in 

 the ' Standard,' on the breeding establishment at Howietown, 

 shows that by the judicious outlay of a very small capital, 

 millions of small fry may be yearly brought into the market at 

 moderate prices and yet with a handsome profit to the breeder. 

 We may, I think, assume that for the future there will be 

 little difficulty in obtaining any reasonable quantity of stock 

 trout from this and similar establishments. The chief question 

 for the purchaser will be what size of stock will pay him best. 



For a preserver who has, in connection with his own trout 

 stream, the requisite appliances for ' hatching out ' eyed ova, 

 or feeding baby fish just freed from the umbilical sack, trout, in 

 one of these two stages, will probably be the best investment. 

 But for turning directly into the river the stock should be 

 yearlings not less than five inches in length. They are easiiy 

 moved if two conditions be borne in mind. First, the vessel 

 in which they are carried should be smooth within, to prevent 

 bruising, which is apt to set up fungoid disease ; and, secondly, 

 the water should be kept in motion, aerated, in fact, to suit 

 the breathing of the fish. This, indeed, is the one indispens- 

 able condition for keeping the trout, in north-country phrase, 

 ' wick and heerty ' on their journey. The late angling editor 

 of the ' Field ' told me, as the result of his own experience in 

 transporting fish, that he knew no better vessel for the pur- 

 pose than the ordinary glass carboy used for chemicals. Its 

 merit, I presume, lies in the perfect smoothness of the interior. 

 Such a vessel, however, is fitted only for a small live cargo. As 

 the removal of trout in large numbers becomes a more familiar 

 process, we shall doubtless see in general use travelling tanks 

 much like a modern watering cart, but provided with mechanical 

 means for keeping the water in motion. 



My attention was first drawn to this subject many years ago, 

 long before I had discarded the spinning minnow for the fly. 



