ARTIFICIAL CATCHES. 405 



what it may, unless the current is sufficiently strong for the purpose. 

 Much, however, depends upon the bed of the river. If formed of gravel, 

 an angle of 40 degrees might suffice ; if of boulders silted up, 50 degrees 

 may be necessary. Again, the length of the garret has to be determined. 

 With a straight flow of water, in the absence of any small bank eddies, 

 five yards, measuring from the outward pile straight across to the bank, 

 is the average distance. But I have hardly ever seen garreting rapids 

 done by any process that led to good results. And although I have seen 

 the experiment tried, it has usually ended in failure, sometimes in disaster. 



Artificial Catches, when properly constructed, are quite as useful for 

 angling purposes as those formed by Nature. When improperly made, 

 they not only involve a waste of time and money, but are apt to completely 

 spoil other Casts below them. 



There are other means than garreting to make artificial catches. For 

 instance, in gravelly streams, the Salmon, though present, will not rise 

 to flies when the water falls below a certain height. A boulder weighing 

 about 3 cwt. dropped from the stern of a punt into the middle of the 

 current will soon make a sure " rise." Much larger ones are not nearly 

 so efficient. Half a dozen such places could be formed in this way in 

 streams 50 yards in length, but it is desirable to put the boulders in a 

 zig-zag line. Behind each one, for a distance of two and a half to three 

 and a half yards, the gravel will be washed out, and so, of necessity, 

 deepen the water ; and, in one or two days, or as soon as each stone gets 

 silted up a little, the fish will take to them. 



I have a particular object in view in referring just now to various 

 changes in the beds of rivers, for they sometimes lead to the most fantastic 

 results. 



The ancient sites of many towns and villages in Yorkshire, for 

 instance, are now occupied by sandbanks in the sea. Among these the 

 Ravenspur is, perhaps, the most conspicuous example. This seaport 

 town, formerly of such importance that it was a rival to Hull, has been 

 altogether swept away, and nothing is now to be seen of the site it 

 occupied, save extensive sandbanks, which are daily covered by the waves, 

 though still visible when the tide recedes. The coast of Elgin also affords 

 a striking example of the " sand-flood," as it is not improperly termed. 



