ODDS AND ENDS 285 



weigh as much as they ought. In the early part of 

 the season, of course, such trout ought to be returned. 

 Possibly it would be practicable to have a girth and 

 length formula. With a tape measure it would 

 take very little time to ascertain both dimensions. 

 But as a rule the length measurement ought to 

 suffice. The weight of trout varies in different 

 localities, but on the chalk streams the following 

 scale should be approximately correct : 11 in., 8 oz. 

 to 10 oz. ; 12 in., 10 oz. to 12 oz. ; 13 in., 13 oz. to 

 16 oz. ; 14 in., 1 Ib. 1 oz. to 1 Ib. 4 oz. ; 15 in., 1 Ib. 4 oz. 

 to l Ib. ; 16 in., l Ib. to If Ib. Well-fed fish from 

 such streams ought always to be nearer the higher 

 weights given, and, of course, now and then they 

 are much above them. The late Mr. Halford in one 

 of his books mentions a Wandle trout fifteen inches 

 long which weighed three pounds two ounces, but 

 that must have been a sort of freak, even among the 

 old Wandle trout, which were very heavy for their 

 length. 



It is, I think, worth while laying some stress on 

 the fact that a good deal of harm is done to under- 

 sized trout which have to be returned by inexpert 

 handling. Some men never seem to acquire the 

 knack of holding a fish gently and yet with that 

 even pressure of all the fingers which ensures a 

 sufficient grasp. Nothing like a " clutch " is ever 

 required. The thing to aim at is to poise the fish 



