4 ANGLING 



the fish to below the gowts where, as soon as they could stem 

 the current they headed back. This was the miller's oppor- 

 tunity ; down went the gowts, stopping the flow of water, and 

 as many as forty, fifty, and sixty brace of trout would be left 

 struggling amongst the chalk stones below the gowts and 

 would fall easy preys to the miller and his men. This was a 

 better hour's work than grinding corn. Of course this freak of 

 the miller spoilt the fishing for the remainder of the season, 

 as the trout in the shallower waters of the brook above were 

 some time in finding their way down stream, at least in any 

 quantity. Some 14 or 15 years ago, when the Louth and 

 Lincoln railway line was being made, that pest of the trout 

 stream the otter invaded the stream between Tathwell Pond 

 (four miles from Louth) and Hubbard's Hill Valley, and 

 killed an immense number of the trout. Fortunately, before 

 the otters had completely depopulated the stream of the finny 

 tribe, they wandered too far away from their haunts and the 

 railway navvies, on coming to their work in the morning, found 

 them in the half made railway cutting and cut off their escape 

 to the stream and quickly despatched them with their spades. 

 Mr. Hopper's youngest brother secured two of them as 

 specimens, and had them stuffed by a local taxidermist, and 

 he now has them in excellent preservation in glass cases. 

 These ruthless and voracious quadruped fishermen thus 

 summarily disposed of, the stream in a few seasons recovered 

 its normal condition so far as containing plenty of fish. There 

 has been a rumour this season that otters have again found 

 their way to the stream, but what foundation there is for the 

 rumour, Mr. Hopper cannot say. 



