72 BRITISH SPORTING FISHES. 



pools of Strathspey. For just as Redwings and 

 Fieldfares constitute the first game of young gun- 

 ners, so the Loach, the Minnow, and the Stickle- 

 back are the shiny prey of the youthful angler. We 

 say angler, though as yet he has never handled a 

 rod, save, maybe, such as is constituted by a willow- 

 wand, a bit of string, and a crooked pin. But 

 the average boy has always a considerable dash of 

 the primitive savage in his composition, and this 

 first comes out in relation to fish rather than 

 fowl. See him during his summer holidays as he 

 wantons in the stream like a dace. Watch where 

 his brown legs carry him ; his stealthy movements 

 as he raises the likely stones ; and note that 

 primitive poaching-weapon in his hand. This old 

 pronged fork is every whit as formidable to the 

 loach and bullhead as is the " lister " of the man- 

 poacher to salmon and trout ; and the wader uses 

 it almost as skilfully. He has a bottle on the 

 bank, and into this he pours the fish unhurt which 

 he captures in his hands. Examine his simple 

 aquarium, and hidden among the wet water-weeds 

 you will find three or four species of "small fry." 

 The loach, the minnow, and the bullhead, are sure 

 to be there, with, perhaps, a tiny stickleback ; and 

 somewhere outside the bottle stuffed in cap or 

 breeches' pocket crayfish of every age and size. 

 The little Loach is essentially a fish of the 



