SALMON AND TROUT CULTURE. 471 



three years' time, the water contains but a very limited number 

 of fish, or, as the phrase goes, * is not so good as it used to be.' 

 In many instances it is not possible to make either spawning or 

 rearing grounds, and the fishery either becomes valueless, or 

 the proprietor has to re-stock the river by artificial breeding. 



Perhaps the most formidable enemy to a trout is the ' up- 

 right form ' in the shape of man. A much greater tax is levied 

 on the stream in these days on account of the greater number 

 of persons who practise the * gentle art,' and the water is un- 

 reasonably expected to yield more sport, although no measures 

 are taken to increase its breeding or feeding capacity. 



Liberal as the proprietor of a trout stream frequently is in 

 granting permission to fish to strangers, it is a great mistake to 

 allow so much freedom in the number and size of fish killed. 

 Four or five brace of sizeable fish are ample for a day's sport, 

 and none but a ' pot hunter ' would grumble about a necessary 

 and reasonable limitation. A limit should also be imposed 

 as to the size under which fish should be kept — say from eleven 

 to fifteen inches, according to circumstances — and all fish 

 below that length ought to be honestly returned to the water. 

 Years ago the case was different altogether ; but now there are a 

 hundred fishermen where formerly there was one. A pheasant 

 breeder may reasonably (if he likes) allow his ' battue ' days of 

 a thousand or two thousand birds ; but pheasants reach perfec- 

 tion in one season, and only sufficient breeders need be kept 

 for the next. Trout, on the contrary, take four or five years in 

 most waters to attain a killable size, and a too indiscriminate 

 permission to fish, coupled with the absence of any restriction 

 as to the number and size of fish allowed to a rod, are the ruin 

 of many waters. 



The protection of fish in all stages is necessary, but there is 

 often great difficulty in ' preserving ' the larger specimens. As 

 soon as they are of an age to perpetuate their species, their in- 

 stinct teaches them to travel up stream to find suitable spawn- 

 ing grounds, when many of them, going out of bounds, never 

 get the chance of coming back again. It is at spawning time 



