TROUT CULTURE OX THE XILGIRLS. 90o 



rule compelling all fish below 10" to be returned to the water was a mistake. It 

 was introduced against the wish of the Collector on the advice of a committee of 

 gentlemen interested in fishing. It ignores the teaching of the past. It leads 

 to migration or suicide. It has evoked a great deal of discontent. It has in- 

 creased the stock of fish beyond the availble food supplv. It promotes over 

 crowding and hence disease. It tends to diminish the revenue from license 

 fees. It is an instance of the danger of calling in inexperienced amateurs to 

 advise. 



It must be remembered that the Rainbow is a great eater (Editor, Fishino- 

 Gazette, August 23rd, 1919). If you introduce a voracious element like the- 

 Rainbow into streams in which the indigenous food supply has onlv been able 

 to exist in accordance vnth. Nature's laws of supply and demand, you are askinc^ 

 for trouble which you will get as soon as the Rainbows begin to breed (letter from 

 P. Fowke, Esq., Hon. .Secretary, Ceylon Fishing Club). More than ever, there- 

 ore, is it necessary to " guard against overstocking, which will produce a sort 

 of permanent famine. A stream should never be up to its possible limit in 

 regard to stock. A little under will give you bigger and better fish." (Thomas 

 Andrews in the Badminton Library, Fishing). At the present moment, the 

 Avalanche and Emerald Valley Streams and all the waters on the Khundahs are 

 overstocked. The Mokerti and Krurmund are probably slightly understocked 

 in the Lower Reaches. This may be due to the migration. The remedy which 

 is being applied is to transfer the fish in overstocked streams to those which are 

 understocked, and in the meantime to improve the food supply. Additional 

 remedies are to abolish the size limit and to net fish for sale to approved custo- 

 mers after fattening them in stew ponds. 



This brings us to the question of what is the best food for trout. An interest - 

 ing experiment is recorded in the Badminton. One lot of trout were fed daily 

 on worms, another on live minnows and the third upon flies of various kinds. 

 The first grew slowly and had a lean appearance. Those dieted upon minnows 

 became much larger, whilst such as fattened wholly upon flies attained in a short 

 space of time extraordinary dimensions, weighing twice as much as both the 

 other put together, the bulk of food eaten by them being actually less. 



The fresh water shrimp, which is condemned by Buckland on account of iti 

 ova-devouring properties, is also advocated in Badminton. Trout three quarters 

 of an inch in length when placed in a pond with unlimited numbers of shrimps, 

 attained an extraordinary size in two years, four or five pounds being the smallest 

 whilst several weighed six pounds ten ounces. This opinion is supported by the 

 learned Editor of the Fishing Gazette : — " I am a great believer in introducing 

 the fresh water shrimp and other natural food into trout waters. Some do not 

 seem to suit the shrimp, but I think wherever watercress will grow, shrimps 

 wil.' li v^e and multiply. I have always found that in rivers where there is plenty 

 of freshwater shrimp the trout and grayling are big and lusty." (Fishing 

 Gazette, 23rd August 1910). But shrimps abound in Ceylon where the trout 

 are no better than on the Xilgiiis, It is obvious, therefore, that matters ^vill 

 not be materially improved if we introduce shrimps. The real remedy is the 

 reduction of the stock of fish, and secondly the laying out of food farms. The 

 late Mr. Wilson bred crabs in large wire cages. When the young crabs grew 

 to a certain size, they crawled over the wire netting and escaped. 



Mr. Wilson also attempted to acclimatize shrimps from the plains. The 

 experiment was a failure. One of the present writers has introduced prawns 

 from the Wynaad, but it is doubtful whether any survive. It is worthy oi note 

 that watercress, although it flourishes at Ootacamund, does not readily grow 

 in any of the trout streams. The connection between watercress and shrimps, 

 noticed by the learned Editor of the Fishing Gazette is especially interesting, 

 in this connection. 



