136 NOTES ON FISH AND FISHING. 



Thames trout gets through a season without being 

 pricked; and it must surely require, in the case of such a 

 wary and intelligent fish, all the close time from Septem- 

 ber 10th to April for him to forget past experiences of 

 mathematically spinning baits. Another disappointment 

 is that of trout " running short " and only touching the 

 tail of your bait ; and yet another to which the spinner 

 for Thames trout is constantly subjected, especially at the 

 beginning of the season, viz., hooking jack, chub, and 

 barbel, and perhaps after a good bit of fighting finding 

 he has not only not got a trout, but a fish which is 

 legally out of season, and which he must return to the 

 water. The most skilful, however 3 are not often taken in, 

 for they know partly by the strike and partly by the 

 " action" of the fish afterwards whether it be a trout 

 or not. 



Another way of fishing for Thames trout is by live bait- 

 ing, as for jack. Some object to this as unsportsmanlike ; 

 but my experience is that it is as difficult to take a fish by 

 this means as by spinning, I hold, therefore, live bait- 

 ing is quite legitimate. 



Perhaps the best advice to one contemplating Thames 

 trout-fishing is — " Don't." Let us, however, suppose our 

 spinner successful, and that he has taken a six, eight, ten 

 or twelve pounder, or more than one, as sometimes occurs. 

 Where is then a prouder or happier man in all creation? 

 His deeds will be spoken of far and wide. The news of 

 the take travels in all directions, along the river banks. 

 Volitat per ova virum. He is a hero, "The man that 



killed a — pound trout at ." He is immortalized 



in the angling columns of many journals. Skill and 

 perseverance have had their reward, and from an 



