146 FISH CULTUEE. 



fish are almost wanting in many lakes I could name, 

 though small ones abound. Now, how is this to be 

 accounted for ? That the trout can easily reach the 

 middle weight if left to themselves is proved by their 

 reaching the greater one. May it not possibly be 

 that these big monsters prefer the half-pounders, or 

 iish of near that size, to their trumpery little two- 

 ounce sons and daughters, which are far more 

 plentiful ? One thing is most certain — viz., that their 

 capacity and capabilities are quite equal to taking 

 even much larger fish, and they may prefer one large 

 fish to a dozen small ones. I don't say that this is 

 the reasan of the absence of the intermediate size, 

 because I cannot prove my theory, but I do think it 

 is by no means an improbable theory. I have seen 

 large Thames trout, of eight, ten, and twelve pounds' 

 weight, chasing roach of half and three-quarters of a 

 pound, and even larger ones, scores of times ; and I 

 have always found, on examining trout that have 

 been caught, when they have had fish in them, that 

 the fish they had chosen to devour were good-sized 

 ones, much larger indeed than the Thames anglers 

 usually employ as a bait. (Might not these gentlemen 

 take a hint from this fact ?) 



I repeat, therefore, that, commercially speaking, up 

 to four or five pounds should be the maximum for 



