BULL TROUT. loi 



course this question is of great importance, for in the Coquet this inferior Salmonoid has nearly- 

 exterminated the Salmon. These fish are stronger than the Salmon, and, as Mr. Buckland 

 says, "arising simultaneously with the Salmon at a weir, both species endeavour to ascend, 

 and if there was no weir, both would equally ascend. The Bull Trout is the stronger animal 

 of the two, and as there happens to be a weir, the chances are in favour of the Bull Trout 

 as against the Salmon. A pair of Salmon and a pair of Bull Trout arrive at a weir at the 

 same time ; the Bull Trout by their superior strength get over the weir ; the Salmon remain 

 behind. If this operation be repeated time after time, the consequence will be that the Bull 

 Trout arrive first at the best spawning places and deposit their ova, while the Salmon remain 

 miles away down the river, and possibly do not get over the weir at all."- — (P. 311.) Mr. 

 Buckland's testimony as to the flesh of this fish coincides with that of Mr. Dunbar, — "the 

 flesh is white and without the pure Salmon flavour, to which it is far inferior." 



This fish is more frequently found upon the east coast of England than upon the west. 

 "There are Bull Trout in the Tweed," writes Buckland in 1873, "the Coquet swarms with 

 them, and the Tyne reports an increase." In order to restore the Salmon, the Home 

 Secretary has given the Duke of Northumberland and the Board of Conservators permission 

 to destroy the Bull Trout when they are running up the river in September, October, 

 November, and December. The Bull Trout thus possesses the very unenviable distinction of 

 being the only Salmonoid which is of inferior quality as food ; as to its value as sport 

 opinions differ. Some of the proprietors on the sides of the Coquet, I learn from Mr. 

 Dunbar, of Brawl Castle, Halkirk, consider that the Bull Trout is a good sporting fish, 

 and on this account they wish it to be protected by law. Lord Home, in a communication 

 made to Mr. Yarrell (vol. il. p. 73) some years ago, writes of this fish as follows: — "The 

 Bull Trout has increased In numbers prodigiously within these last forty years, and to that 

 increase I attribute, in a great measure, the decrease of Salmon Trout, which formerly 

 abounded when I was a boy.* It is now a rare thing to see a Salmon Trout or Whitling, 

 — for the Whitling in the Tweed is the Salmon Trout, not the young Bull Trout, which 

 now go by the name of Trouts simply. The Bull Trout take the river at two seasons. 

 The first shoal come up about the end of April and May. They are then small, weighing 

 from two to four or five pounds. The second, and by far the more numerous shoal, come 

 late in November. They then come up in thousands, and are not only In fine condition, 

 but of much larger size, weighing from six to twenty pounds. The Bull Trout is an inferior 

 fish, and is exactly what is called at Dalkeith and Edinburgh, Musselburgh Trout. Mr. 

 Yarrell is mistaken when he says that these fish aff"ord good sport to anglers ; quite the 

 contrary : a clean Bull Trout in good condition is scarcely ever known to take fly or bait 

 of any description. It is the same in the Esk at Dalkeith. I believe I have killed as many, 

 indeed I may venture to say I have killed more Salmon with the rod than any one man 

 ever did, and yet put them all together I am sure I have not killed twenty clean Bull 

 Trout. Of Bull Trout kelts thousands may be killed. The great shoal of these Bull Trout, 

 not taking the river till after the commencement of close time, are in a great measure lost 

 both to the proprietor and the public." Mr. F. Buckland was informed by Mr. Dunbar that 

 the weight of Bull Trout caught between February and August, 1871, was seventeen thousand 

 seven hundred and thirty-seven pounds, and only two Salmon were taken; from the ist. of 

 September to December, 1871, the weight of Bull Trout destroyed was forty-five thousand 

 nine hundred and forty-two pounds, but only thirteen Salmon, and the same number of 

 Salmon grilse. 



Bull Trout are, in their grilse state, very destructive of Salmon eggs ; but, doubtless, this 

 is more or less true of the Salmonida: generally, which are always ready to take ova with 



* It appears from this statement that Lord Home regarded the Bull Trout as a distinct species from the Salmoa 

 Trout. 



