FISH HATCHING ON A MODEST SCALE 425 



at the water-level, one on each side of the stream, and 

 kept open by two others fixed higher up on opposite 

 banks. The flow of water keeps the bag distended. 

 Meantime the men have entered the water at the head 

 of the spawning stretch, 200 yds. or so upstream, and 

 begin to beat the fish down to the bag-net. Two men 

 follow with a sweep net stretched across the river to 

 prevent fish breaking back, while a third wades behind 

 the centre of this net to lift it over obstacles. Both 

 banks are poked and prodded with the poles to prevent 

 fish taking cover. All the fish in the " drive'" fall 

 back in some little excitement, till at last they find 

 themselves within the bag-net. 



A ripe female is selected, taken from the tail of the 

 net, and handed to the chief operator, who, all his 

 appliances ready, is waiting to strip her. He takes the 

 fish, wraps one of the towels round her to prevent her 

 slipping, leaving the vent clear. Then, sitting down, with 

 a clean, dry basin between his feet, he holds the fish, head 

 towards him, tail outwards, and belly down, with the vent 

 over the basin. If the fish is perfectly " ripe," a slight 

 pressure will cause the ova to fall into the basin. If 

 not, a repeated gentle pressure from the throat towards 

 the vent will bring it away. When all the ova are 

 extracted, the fish, if carefully handled, will swim off 

 little the worse for her adventure. 



One of the males in the bag-net has meantime been 

 selected to perform his part of the ceremony. He is 

 taken, then, wrapped in the towel, and held exactly as 



