second day.] FISHING IN IRELAND. 53 



even the artificial May-fly, according to Cotton, was 

 very killing. 



POIET. — I have heard various accounts of the 

 excellent fishing in some of the great lakes in Ireland. 

 Can you tell us anything on the subject ? and if the 

 same flies may be used in that island ? 



HAL. — I have been several times in Ireland, but 



never at this season, which is considered as best for 



lake-fishing. I have heard that in some of the lakes 



in Westmeath, very large trout, and great quantities, 



may be taken in the beginning of June, with the 



very flies we have been using this day. Wind is 



necessary; and a good angler sometimes takes in a 



day, or rather formerly took, from ten to twelve fish, 



which weighed from 3 to 10 lbs., and winch occasionally 



were even larger. In the summer after June, and in 



the autumn, the only seasons when I have fished in 



Ireland, I have seldom taken any large trout ; but in 



the river Boyle, late in October, after a flood, I once 



had some sport with these fish, that were running up 



the river from Lock Key to spawn. I caught one 



day two above 3 lbs. that took a large reddish-brown 



fly of the same kind as a salmon-fly ; and I saw some 



taken that weighed 5 lbs., and heard of one that 



equalled 9 lbs. These fish were in good season, even 



at this late period, and had no spots, but were 



coloured red and brown — mottled like tortoise-shell, 



