LOCH LEVEN TROUT 



MUCH has been said and written about the Loch Leven trout, the 

 general belief being that it is a distinct species. Again, it is main- 

 tained that it is a landlocked sea-trout, but I fail to see how this can 

 be, because a sea-trout could not become landlocked so long as there 

 was an outlet of over 30 feet wide through which it could escape. Fish 

 have always had free access to the sea from Loch Leven, so that they 

 are no more landlocked than those in Loch Tay. The reason, no 

 doubt, for stating this is, that in 1830 the loch was reduced to about 

 three-fourths of its original area, but it seems to be forgotten that this 

 made no difference in the quantity of water flowing out of the loch. 

 Of course, had the fish been prevented by hecks from going down 

 there might have been some reason for this assertion. 



I have had ample opportunity of studying Loch Leven trout, and 

 nothing I have noticed about them has. caused me to think they are 

 different from any other trout. Loch Leven trout are admitted 

 by all to be the finest trout in Great Britain, if not in the world, 

 and nowhere can they be seen to such perfection as in Loch Leven. 

 Loch Leven is almost round, and covers an area of 3400 acres, 

 in which are several islands, the largest being St. Serf's, occupying 

 about So acres. According to Sir John Murray and Mr. Pullar's 

 survey, it is 350 feet above sea-level. " The area of the bottom 

 between the shore and the lo-feet contour line is about 1430 acres, or 

 forty-two per cent of the whole area of the loch ; that between 

 50 and 70 feet is nearly 1 10 acres." No less than eighty-five per cent 

 of the bottom is covered by less than 20 feet of water. 



This large extent of shallow water is the means of producing a 



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