1886. 



II. ABOUT CARP BREAM AND FRIEND BROWN'S DUCKING. 



ANOTHER pest of trout streams is the heron, and 

 particularly so in dry seasons such as 1884-5 and 6 

 have been. These long-necked thieves will strike a fish 

 with unerring precision two feet below the surface of the water, 

 and they will haunt a stream day by day. A great many 

 frequent the Laceby and Little Coates stream, which runs into 

 the Haven at Grimsby, and last year the writer heard of 21 of 

 the species being seen together near the stream. Several 

 fortunately fell victims to the fowling-piece. Mr. Hopper has 

 had many good days' sport on the last-named stream, and it 

 does not require a great stretch of memory to bring to his 

 recollection baskets of 7^, 8, 9, io, and 1 1 brace of trout, all 

 caught with the fly, the most successful being the stone fly, and 

 following close upon it the March brown and alder. A few 

 years ago, whilst spinning for trout in a Lincolnshire brook 

 with the artificial " Derby killer," Mr. Hopper caught a fine 

 dace which came at the bait in the most determined manner. 

 It is, so far as he knows, an unprecedented thing for dace to 

 take an artificial minnow. This year, when fishing on the Trent 

 Mr. Hopper caught with a worm a barbel just pulling down the 

 scale at slbs., and shortly afterwards he tried the spoon bait for 

 perch in a rapid swim about seven feet deep. The first throw 

 was responsible for a fairly-sized perch, and almost immediately 

 after a stupid little barbel, with his barbs just beginning to 

 show, was attracted by the glittering lure and made for it 

 his mouth was too small to take the spoon, but he foul-hooked 

 himself on the treble hook, and weighed probably about 202. 

 He was at once returned to the water, and it is to be hoped will 

 eschew such morsels until such times as he will better test an 

 angler's tackle and skill. 



Harking back for one moment to trout, it may not be 

 generally known in Grimsby that two local gentlemen, 



