158 FISHING IN EDEN 



ravenous young. They were continuously on the 

 wing, to and from the river, all night long. The 

 otherwise still night was consequently broken by an 

 incessant squawking, like nothing so much as the 

 barking of a big kennel of hoarse-throated dogs. 

 One disturbs odd, fishing herons, in broad daylight 

 both on the Eden and Eamont, but as darkness sets 

 in their main feeding time begins. 



If out early in the morning one will disturb 

 numbers of them, still at their unfinished night task. 



The Lower Eamont is also the so far safe home 

 of otters. The great crevices in many of the rocks 

 afford safe harbourage from hounds, and the only 

 way to lessen their number seems to be by trapping. 



Kingfishers and Water Ouzels are numerous on 

 this stream, and on many of the tributary becks of 

 the Eden. The Lyvennet, which enters the Eden 

 at Temple Sowerby, is the beck to which I would 

 take a naturalist to see kingfishers. These natural 

 enemies of the trout are altogether delightful objects 

 in themselves, and have added greatly to the charm 

 of my fishing. I could not possibly bring myself 

 to the point of shooting any of them, and, indeed, 

 only suggest trapping in connection with the otters 

 as a method of keeping them within reasonable 

 bounds. 



There is no need on the Eden, provided as it is 



