376 THE DRY-FLY MAN'S HANDBOOK 



tions shown in Fig. 6i. Again, after all the nets 

 have been landed, if he thinks it wise the keeper 

 should have the nets set again as at the start, and the 

 length dragged again with both nets. This is a most 

 effectual plan of preventing the men dragging the nets 

 too quickly and impressing on them the wise maxim 

 of "slow and sure." The second time of dragging 

 is often more effectual than the first, because the 

 passage of the nets has stirred any mud and made 

 the water so thick that the pike cannot see the net. 

 On one occasion, netting in 191 1, we saw a big fish, 

 and it was only at the fifth time of dragging over 

 the length that we secured a female pike of 6^ lb. 

 with the tail of a partially digested trout, quite i^ lb., 

 projecting from its mouth. 



The well-conditioned trout should, of course, be re- 

 turned to the stream, but any 

 Advice as to the dis- poor, black, deformed, blind 

 posal of the fish. or ill-conditioned ones should 



be at once knocked on the 

 head. I would urge on every keeper or lessee of a 

 fishery the policy of giving the trout knocked on 

 the head, as well as the pike or other coarse fish, to 

 the men working the nets. I am sure that they fully 

 appreciate the attention, and the better they are 

 treated the better they work — in fact, after the first 

 season, any handy, willing men should be employed 

 again and soon get quite interested in the work. In 

 my experience, the keeper on a water I managed for 

 some friends and myself took on a notorious poacher 



