BALING FOR FISH. 193 



the bobbing under of the corks when a shoal of roach and 

 perch, or a heavy pike, has darted into it, and instantly 

 draws the string and makes his haul. In this way, by 

 sections at a time, the brook, perhaps for half a mile, is 

 quite cleared out. Jack, however, sometimes escape ; they 

 seem remarkably shrewd and quick to learn. If the string 

 is not immediately drawn when they touch the net, they are 

 out of it without a moment's delay : they will double back 

 up stream through all the splashing and mud, and some 

 will even slide as it were between the net and the bank if 

 it does not quite touch in any place, and so get away. 



In its downward course the brook irrigates many 

 water meadows, and to drive the stream out upon them 

 there are great wooden hatches. Sometimes a gang of 

 men, discovering that there is a quantity of fish thereabouts, 

 will force down a hatch, which at once shuts off or greatly 

 diminishes the volume of water flowing down the brook, 

 and then rapidly construct a dam across the current 

 below it with the mud of the shore. Above this dam they 

 thrash the water with poles and drive all the fish towards 

 it, and then make a second dam above the first so as to 

 enclose them in a short space. In the making of these 

 dams speed is an object, or the water will accumulate and 

 flow over the hatch ; so hurdles are used, as they afford a 

 support to the mud hastily thrown up. Then with buckets, 

 bowls, and ' scoops,' they bale out the water between the 

 two dams, and quickly reduce their prey to wriggling help- 



