848 



SCANDINAVIAN I'ISIIKS. 



weight of at most '■'>' - kilo., body sliorter, liead smaller, 

 coloration lightei-, than in the former variety; and the 

 Salmon Charr (Laxruding), of the same size as the Deep- 

 water Charr and also similar in other respects to the 

 latter, hut with white lielly. At the same time, accord- 

 ing to Dr. Marin, in the north part of Lake Wetter 

 the following kinds of Charr were named: the Fwd, 

 with red back, belly and sides of lighter red, yellow 

 tins, and red flesh; the Spotted, sides and back spotted 

 with white on a gray ground, belly whitisli, flesh white, 

 whitish yellow, or gra}-; and tiie Gray, with grayish 

 green back and sides, belly and flesh as in the Spotted 

 Charr. All these names simply indicate the great va- 

 riableness of the Charr in different haunts, even within 

 the limits of a single lake. Especially worthy of re- 

 mark from a culinary point of view is the great dif- 

 ference in the colour of the liesh, wliich varies from 

 liright red to whitish. The pronounced red tint is due 

 to a diet consisting chiefly of crustaceans. 



In Lakes Stor-Uman and ^lalgomaj (Lycksele Lapp- 

 mark) a distinction is drawn between Light and Black 

 ('Itarr. There the Charr fishery is best, according to 

 TKYiiii-M, during the spawning-season and immediately 

 afterwards. Stationary nets are used, and thej' must 

 be set, at least towards the close of the tishing, under 

 the ice. After the breaking up of the ice, and until 

 the Charr retires to deep writer, a ])roductive fishery 

 is cai'ried on with long-lines. In a few Lapland lakes 

 the Ijottom is smooth enough for the employment of 

 seines, but this is seldom the case at the spawning- 

 places. In the Lajsan lakes, towards tlie cud of sum- 

 mer and in autumn, the take includes not only breed- 

 ing Charr, but also numerous tish that are "//«//" (bar- 

 ren, i. e. not ready to spawn the same year) and very fat. 



In many places the Charr is caught with hand- 

 lines, and voracious feeder as it is, it takes any kind 

 of bright bait, if otdy this l)e kept moving. Day" 

 describes a sort of irhifniif for (.'harr practised on Lake 

 Winandermere: "By far the most important and in- 

 teresting means of taking char there is by means of 

 the phoiiJi-Iiiie. Tliis line is made of strong cord, and 



varies in lengtii according to the number of Ijaits which 

 ai'e to be put on it; but it is usually between forty 

 and fifty yards long, and this is sufticieiit to carry five 

 baits. The baits usualh' used are artificial, pieces of 

 metal silvered on one side, copper, red, green, or brown 

 on the other, spinning from either the head or tail. 

 Minnows can be used in the same way, spoon baits too, 

 and both the blue Phantom and Garnet-quill minnows 

 have been tried successfully. Still the natives prefer 

 the metal baits, and the sizes used for ordinary trout 

 are of course the correct ones. Usually two such lines 

 as the above are worked by each boat, and the fisher- 

 man shows considerable skill in his manipulation of 

 them and rowing his craft along at a proper speed at 

 the same time ■ — the latter is just sufficient to keep 

 the liaits spinning and the tackle taut. The boatman 

 knows the ground char frequent, and the nature of the 

 bottom too, for should he come upon rocks and weeds 

 his tackle gets entangled, and a big smash must almost 

 inevitably result. This fishing usually commences about 

 the beginning of March, and at that time the fish are 

 got about thirty yards from the surface and in the 

 deepest parts of the lake. As the weather gets warmer 

 they gradually approach the top." The Charr is also 

 taken at the surface of the water during summer with 

 the ntter-Une'' and the casting-rod. 



"The Charr is very easy to l)reed", says iLvx von 

 DEM Borne'', "and best adapted of all the Salmon-fishes 

 for fattening. But it must without fail be supplied 

 with pure spring-^vater of a fairly uniform tempera- 

 ture, which should never exceed + 1.5 to 17^ 2° C. {od 

 to BS'/o" Fahr.). It is especially to be recommended 

 to the pisciculturists who have a plentiful diet of in- 

 sects to offer it, as well as to those who desire to keep 

 their fish in small ponds, and to fatten them for mar- 

 ket from their earliest youth on a diet consisting 

 maiidy of meat and tish. It is very sociable and 

 tame, l)eing perfectly at its ease among fishes of dif- 

 ferent genera and sizes, while the Trout, on the con- 

 trary, is always shy and especially intolerant of smaller 

 companions." 



" L. c, p. Ill; Bn't., Ir. ^almonidce, pp. 235 and 243. 



' A line with flies or spinning baits, natural or artificial, and constructed, for surface-fishing, partly on the same principle as llie 

 otter-trawl for ground-fishing. An otter-board at the end of the line is arranged vertically floating at the surface, but ohlirjuely to the di- 

 rection of the rowboat, thus leaping ont from this and stretching the line, trolling the baits ou the water. 



' Handbuch der Fischzttcht itnd Fischerei, p. 284. 



