34 THE HABITS OF THE SALMON. 



the winter is very mild, and is not accompanied 

 by snow — a state of things which, however, rarely 

 happens — the early fish frequent the Lyon and are 

 more numerous there than in the Loch. This is 

 because the water in the Lyon is the warmer of the 

 two. Indeed, it is well known that comparatively few 

 salmon run into Loch Tay between May and autumn; 

 and I am informed by an authority, who has fished 

 the waters of the Tay for thirty seasons, and who for 

 some years was the Marquis of Breadalbane's fisher- 

 man, that during his experience he neither caught nor 

 heard of the capture of more than one grilse kelt in 

 the Loch itself. Grilse as well as salmon avoid 

 the colder water of the Loch all through the summer 

 months, and take up their quarters in the Lyon. They 

 sometimes congregate previously above the outlet 

 near where the Lyon runs out of the Loch, but 

 they seem to go no higher ; and supposing my infor- 

 mation to be correct, it seems that even the salmon 

 which have previously run into the Loch, leave it 

 after May for the warmer waters of the Dochart, 



