DEPOPULATION OF TROUT-STREAMS, in 



Depopulation naturally leads to the important 

 subject of restocking. We have in England 

 hundreds of thousands of acres of fallow water, 

 waiting only for the application of labour and 

 knowledge to yield tons of fish food annually. 

 This applies not so much to rivers as to the larger 

 fresh-water areas, such as are found, for instance, 

 in the English Lake District. Here the lakes are 

 isolated, and all those conflicting interests are cut 

 out which usually are present where sea-going 

 Salmonida are placed in rivers. In the district 

 indicated, the benefits would be directly reaped by 

 those upon whom the original cost of restocking 

 devolved. The Lake District, or other Fishery 

 Boards, might undertake the experiment. But 

 what more nearly concerns us now is the re- 

 stocking of such rivers and streams as have been 

 depopulated. Streams, as a rule, afford more 

 sport than food supply ; but it is difficult to draw 

 the line between these and the great salmon- and 

 trout-producing rivers. Tributaries are the great 

 natural " redds " or spawning-grounds, not only 

 of rivers, but of lakes and sea-lochs. It matters 

 not whether restocking takes place by ova, fry, 

 yearlings, or two-year-old fish these are in- 

 variably turned into tributary streams a mile or 

 so above their outlets. 



The artificial hatching and rearing of fresh- 



