ODDS AND ENDS 289 



in a manner of speaking, valuable property, and even 

 though their captor may not appreciate their flavour 

 himself, there are numberless people to whom they 

 would come as a real treat, perhaps a greater treat 

 than salmon. Though trout make their appearance 

 in the market, they are not so essentially a feature 

 of the stalls or slabs as their larger cousins, and the 

 sale of trout, luckily for our waters, is a relatively 

 small affair. 



The angler should always treat his fish with 

 respect after he has caught them so that their edible 

 value may not be in any way lessened. Probably 

 the best method of treating them after they have 

 been killed is to wrap them in a dry cloth. Paper is, 

 however, equally good as a covering and will serve 

 quite well if the cloth has been forgotten. Some 

 men carry a linen bag to hold their fish, which is a 

 good plan. Failing either cloth or paper, the creel 

 may be lined with rushes, and more rushes may be 

 sprinkled over the fish, or a dockleaf or two will 

 serve to keep them cool and protect them from a 

 hot sun. Grass seems to be very bad for fish, which 

 is a pity, as it shows them off to advantage. Hay 

 would be better if it is easily to be got, the main 

 thing being to keep the trout dry as well as cool. 



In very hot weather the angler would be well 

 advised to clean his fish at once, if he can bring 

 himself to do so. It is in the stomach that decom- 



