THE BOOK OF THE OTTER 



land otter-hunting is that of the late Bobby 



Troughton. He was born on Fellside, Kendal, in 



1836. In the early eighties he purchased three 



hounds, " Raleigh," " Ragman," and " Londes- 



borough," and with these three hounds and a 



couple of terriers he began to hunt the local rivers. 



Having thus formed the nucleus of a pack, he 



gradually added to it and improved it, until the 



late Mr Courtenay Tracy, M.O.H., said there 



was not another pack like it in England. Bobby's 



heaviest otter was a big dog weighing 32 lb., and 



was killed in Rydal Lake. One of his most famous 



hunts took place in Lever's Water on the Coniston 



fells. Hounds met at 5 a.m. at the foot of Yewdale 



Beck, and striking a hot drag at once, went out 



towards the hills. Near the edge of the tarn they 



put their otter down, and he at once took to the 



water. For nine hours he kept hounds going, and 



it was not until some of the field volunteered to go 



to Coniston for a boat — no small undertaking — 



that Bobby was able to get afloat himself, and give 



his hounds a helping hand. At long last the otter 



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