358 THE DRY-FLY MAN'S HANDBOOK 



trout fry and smaller yearlings. Herons are most 

 destructive, and will stalk and kill even the largest 

 trout in comparatively shallow water. I have been 

 charged with gross inhumanity in advising keepers 

 and others to use all legitimate means to keep down 

 these birds, but, candidly, I do not see what other 

 advice I could give to the lessees or keepers of good 

 trout-streams. 



Otters have been cited by many authorities as most 



destructive of the Salmonidee. 



Otters. It is, however, a moot point 



whether they do not prefer 

 eels, pike and frogs to any of the salmon family. 

 They may be shot or trapped, and if there should be 

 a pack of otterhounds anywhere in the district the 

 master will generally arrange a meet on any stream 

 where the otters are present in any numbers. I fear, 

 however, that a day's hunt over a short stretch of a 

 chalk-stream with dogs and men on the banks and 

 in the water in great numbers is likely to make the 

 trout very shy for some days afterwards. 



Chub, perch, eels, and large overgrown ill-con- 

 ditioned trout (especially males) 

 Fish. are perfect sharks. Bullheads, 



and sticklebacks, are deadly 

 enemies of trout alevins or young fry, and even 

 roach, dace, and minnows compete with the trout 

 for the food in the river. The chief enemy among 

 the fish of the lessee of a trout-stream is decidedly 

 the pike, and, although all the before-mentioned 



