STOCKING. 129 



Four years of good management, and an appa- 

 rently somewhat lavish expenditure on intro- 

 ducing new stock, produced a length of water 

 so improved, and on which the sport was so 

 good, that although both the subscription and 

 entrance fees are high, not only has the club its 

 full complement of members, but there are in 

 addition applications for membership from more 

 anglers than in the ordinary course of events 

 are likely to be elected in the next five years. 

 At the same time, a very substantial rent has 

 been paid to the proprietor, who before this 

 received nothing for the water, and considerable 

 sums of money are brought into circulation in 

 the surrounding villages by the members. 



Although I am not one of those who are The natural 

 persuaded that what is called the natural 

 system alone will suffice to keep up a head of 

 fish equal to the demands of the modern 

 sportsman, yet I should be the last to deprecate 

 in any way the policy of doing everything 

 possible to encourage the natural reproduction 

 of a river. Although it is well known that the 

 percentage of ova fertilised in a state of nature 

 is very small, and of those hatched out even 

 smaller, and that of the resulting alevins and 

 fry only a minute fraction will escape the 

 ravages of their numerous enemies to arrive at 

 maturity, yet, for what it is worth, they are free 



K 



