"Tickletrout Creek"

oil on canvas 24 x 24

"Tickletrout Creek"

The Poacher would lie face downwards on the riverbank, with his arm immersed in the water, where the trout were known to run. He would sometimes lay there for hours until the trout was attracted to the warmth of his arm.
The poacher would allow his arm to flow with the movement of the trout, gently tickling the unsuspecting fish, until his hand was in the opportune position to snatch the trout from the water.
Ticklers were highly respected by their fellow-poachers, who used far more gory methods.

Trout tickling is depicted in 5,000 year old neolithic stone carving in the Greek Islands and is mentioned in Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’ when Maria greets Malvolio with the words “here comes the trout that must be caught with tickling” (Act 2, Scene 5).