430 SALMON AND TROUT. 



effectually protected, and then dragging the water night after 

 night, till the choicest streams were depopulated, and hardly 

 a trout left except in the weir-pools. Their modus operandi 

 in pulling up the stakes, the exact position of which they 

 had first ascertained by day-light, was simple but thorough. 

 Drifting down the stream with a heavy punt, they dropped a 

 slip-noose of strong rope over each stake, and then, by weight and 

 strength combined, heaved it out of the river-bed. The know- 

 ledge of these tactics proved very serviceable when I was sub- 

 sequently engaged in a very successful association for preserving 

 the Thames about Marlow. In staking the ballast-holes and other 

 places where the poacher's net was most to be feared, we took 

 good care to drive our stakes very deep, to taper them towards 

 the top, to fix no tenter-hooks in their sides, and in every way 

 to make the task of drawing them difficult and troublesome. 



To resume my story, however. I believe the fly-minnow, 

 to the killing power of which I have borne witness, might have 

 been greatly improved. It was slightly above the natural size, 

 very light, with fins and tail of some transparent horny material. 

 Its colouring was very much that which Walton assigns to the 

 artificial minnow, wrought in silks by his lady friend with the 

 ' fine hand ; ' that is, it was a fair imitation of that of the real 

 fish as far as dead can imitate live colour. Its great fault in my 

 eyes was that it was not bright enough. I would fain have had 

 the dark shading of the back greatly reduced, and four- fifths 

 of the surface overlaid with the brightest silver ; the leaf to be 

 renewed from time to time as the lustre tarnished, which might 

 be easily done with the aid ot a little gilder's size. Its dimen- 

 sions I would have reduced to those of an ordinary minnow. 

 1 would have further increased its brilliancy when played in the 

 water by a tiny swivel, which might be placed either at the head 

 or at the end of the link of gut on which it was dressed. 



I am by no means sure that a minnow not half the size of 

 those I have used say, an inch and quarter in length made 

 to fall as light as a salmon fly and silver-bright all over might 

 not do execution. I see a lure much used now, which calls 



