NOTES. 



249 



It is most satisfactory to notice that many of the 

 angling clubs are ceasing to give prizes for gross 

 weights of fish, and, where they give prizes at all, 

 only award them for specimen fish of good size. 

 Gross weight fishing greatly tends to deplete the weight 

 stock of fish in any water ; when the practice is 

 indulged in, the competitors keep every fish that is size- 

 able in order that the weight may tell up. A. knows 

 that B. has taken a certain weight of fish, arid that a 

 dozen or so of fish will exceed that weight, so every fish 

 is kept for weighing-in purposes. With competitions for 

 specimen fish only, hundreds of good stock-fish would 

 be returned to the water, for if A. has taken a two-pound 

 roach B. knows that his pound fish will not beat it. Very 

 great harm has been done to our public waters by gross 

 weight competitions, and the better class of anglers 

 recognises this fact. 



SCALE HALF S2E. 

 "HAMPSHIRE" FISHING KNIFE. 



If the angler carries a creel in preference to a bag, it 

 is best to have a large one, the slight extra 

 weight being amply made up for by the room 

 for fish and tackle. A small creel is all very 

 well when sport is poor, but a large basket comes 

 in handy if you get amongst bream or barbel when 



