n8 PIKE AND OTHER COARSE FISH. 



of catching the said trout would not also somewhat diminish 

 the general fund of amusement yearly derived from the sport ; 

 but if this slight increase in numbers was to be accompanied 

 by a corresponding decrease in size, then assuredly the fisher- 

 man would 'gain a loss' and nothing else; and that such 

 would actually be the effect of impoverishing the stock of pike 

 seems inevitable. For what says experience? Why, that a 

 given water will only support a given quantity of fish of a 

 particular breed, and that you may take that quantity out 

 either in numbers or in weight, but not in both. All waters 

 which breed a heavy stock of pike breed, if any, trout cor- 

 respondingly large. This is the case in both the rivers 

 which I have already mentioned, and the rule seems to 

 hold good as well in lakes as in rivers. Take, for example, 

 in the three divisions of the kingdom the three lakes most 

 celebrated for the great size of their trout viz., Windermere 

 in England, Awe in Scotland, and Corrib in Ireland, and 

 what do we find? Why that all three are almost equally 

 celebrated for the number or size of their pike. So that in 

 fine ' the greater the stock of pike, the larger the size of the 

 trout,' may be almost taken as the formula of the question. 



The conclusion, then, which I would earnestly desire to 

 press upon all my brother fishermen of the Thames, is Make 

 the best of what you have got, and in grasping at the shadow 

 do not drop the substance ; instead of attempting to destroy, 

 preserve by every possible means your pike, from which we have 

 all had so much sport for so many years ; and, as the most 

 obvious and important rules, do not begin killing them until 

 the beginning of July or middle of June, at the earliest, and 

 then throw in again all that are under a pound and a half in 

 weight, by which two means you will ensure (i) that your 

 pike shall not be killed until they are in decent condition for 

 the table ; and (2) that before being killed at all they shall 

 have had the opportunity of contributing at least once towards 

 the replenishment of the stock of the xiver. 



