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"TROUT BINNING" IN WEST-MORELAND.</h3<
(_To the Editor of the Mirror_.)
--"Now is the time,
While yet the dark-brown water aids the guile,
To tempt the trout."
THOMSON.
I have not yet done with this subject; and as it strikes me you are an
angler, I think the article a seasonable _bait_ for you.
I was certainly much entertained with your extracts from Sir Humphry
Davy's _Salmonia_; and from your being pleased to mention my name in
commenting on its merits, I took the hint, and resolved to send you
another leaf from my journal. You will easily imagine the abundance of
fish in Westmoreland when I inform you, that they seldom use the line
there, except in rivers, since they can take them much easier with their
hands as before mentioned. I will now account for the trout frequenting
such small brooks. There are frequent floods in that county, at certain
periods of the year, which sweep the fish in shoals from the mountain
rivulets, or perhaps the fish always go down with the flood, for the
rivers and rivulets are all well stocked afterwards; and in my opinion
it is on account of the rivers being so full, that great quantities are
obliged to inhabit the neighbouring brooks, all which empty themselves
in the rivers. At the latter end of the year, that is, the spawning
season, the large trouts (which are become very loose and flabby) take
to the small brooks to deposit their spawn; after which they return to
the rivers. At this time there are, in consequence, many young trouts,
which remain, I should imagine, till next year, when I believe they go
to the rivers; for during that time I have seldom caught trouts weighing
more than from half a pound to a pound, though in such a "beck" as
"Cannon's," which runs directly into the Eden, I have taken them at all
times very large--and this is how I account for the difference. I should
observe, that at the "_back end_" of the year, immensely large trouts
may be caught, which come up to spawn; but they are generally, when
caught, immediately thrown into their element again, as they are worth
nothing, on account of the looseness of their flesh.
But to the subject. _Trout binning_ is a name given to a peculiar method
of taking trout. A man wades any rocky stream (Pot-beck for instance)
with a sledge-hammer, with which he strikes every stone likely to
contain fish. The force of the blow stuns the fish, and they roll from
under the rock half dead, when the "binner" throws them out with his
hand.
_Night-Fishing._--I have frequently gone out with a fishing party at
about ten o'clock at night to spear trout. We supplied ourselves with an
eel spear and a lantern, and visited Cannon's "beck." We drew the light
gently over the water near the brink. Immediately the light appeared,
both trouts and eels were splashing about the lantern in great
quantities. We then took the spear, and as they approached, thrust it
down upon them, sometimes bringing up with it three or four together.
One night we took nearly twenty pounds of trout and eels, which, for the
short time we were out, may be considered very fair sport, and some of
those were of a very large size.
Should you notice this, I may be led to recur to the subject in a future
paper.