320 BROADLAND SPORT 



wages earned in a day) immediately essays to accompany 

 the angler, or whoever he may be, upon his diurnal rambles. 

 Indeed, the native is truly an indispensable acquisition, for 

 who more fitted to manage the boat and impart that local 

 knowledge so necessary to success ? Although the artful old 

 poacher may know full well at the time the bag will be light 

 in proportion to what his would be if he were out alone and 

 proceeded to work in his own peculiar way. 



Of course, the numerous Piscatorial Protection and 

 Angling Associations which are springing up in all fishable 

 waters tend in a great measure to suppress this, yet in the 

 wilder parts, remote from railways, towns and "the mad- 

 ding crowd," there are those who have always gained their 

 subsistence, more or less, from the products of the water and 

 marsh. To them it seems hard indeed that their ordinary 

 course of livelihood should be deemed illegal, and many con- 

 tinue former practices, only under the cloak of stealthiness and 

 cunning, to avoid if possible the avengeful arm of the law. 



Netting, which was once carried on to a large extent, and 

 by which means it was not uncommon to obtain several tons 

 of fish in a night, is now completely done away with. 



Poachers might still easily evade the water-bailiffs, but 

 they would have great difficulty in disposing of their contra- 

 band gains, and the law, besides forfeiting all nets, imple- 

 ments, etc., found thus employed, renders the risks too great for 

 netting to be extensively indulged in. However, they make up 

 for it in a great measure by poaching on the smaller and less- 

 easily-to-be-detected scale, viz., by trimmers, eel-lines (with 

 many hooks), anchored lines, night-lines, and pike-snares, etc., 

 etc., far too numerous to be here detailed, and which necessarily 

 cause a great amount of anxiety and trouble to preservers, 

 for, unless caught red-handed, the delinquents almost invariably 

 delude them by making off, disposing of their implements en 

 route. In many cases an apparatus for receiving and sinking 

 their quarry at a moment's notice is carried in their boats, 

 and when at last overtaken, they plead utter innocence and 

 ignorance of the offence with which they are charged. 



