432 SALMON AND TROUT. 



to send one is a present and I think most anglers get more 

 enjoyment from their captures this way than in any other you 

 will of course not crimp him. You will even hardly like to spoil 

 his beauty by 'gralloching' him, though doubtless he will travel 

 better for the process ; but you may at least fill his mouth with salt 

 directly he is killed, which will go a long way towards keeping 

 him fresh. I have never sent one which did not arrive in good 

 condition. This, however, has no doubt been chiefly due to the 

 superior firmness of the fish. 



Having paid this tribute to the quality of Thames trout, I 

 must say a few parting words as to their quantity. So much 

 has been done and is still doing to maintain and augment the 

 stock, and so many experienced anglers are enrolled in the 

 different associations engaged in this work, that I shall venture 

 on very little in the way of suggestion. There are, however, 

 two points to which I would especially call the attention of 

 those who are bent on increasing the supply of Thames trout. 

 The first concerns the size of the fish to be turned in as stock 

 in aid of the numbers actually bred in the river. I am con- 

 vinced that much money and trouble has been wasted on the 

 introduction of mere fry, having perhaps two years to scuttle for 

 their lives before they become valuable either for breeding or 

 basketing. Of course, I recognise the greater difficulty and 

 expense of stocking with sizeable fish. We are, however, daily 

 becoming more familiar with the conditions of fish transport ; 

 while as regards the question of cost a better result will be 

 obtained by doing a little in the right way than by attempting 

 much in the wrong. No trout under three-quarters of a pound 

 is in my opinion worth turning into the Thames. The best 

 time for introducing fresh stock seems to be early in September, 

 when pike are quitting the weedy runs and drawing towards the 

 deeps, while trout naturally make for the bright shallows which 

 form their breeding-ground. 



The other point which I commend to lovers of the Thames 

 is the importance of preserving \\s> smaller tributaries. Streams 

 like the Kennet, Colne and Wandle are preserved on their own 



