Loch Leven Frout ma 
On 
In April, when feeding on flies, Loch Leven trout travel through 
the water at the rate of about 2 miles an hour, their speed gradually 
increasing till July, when it reaches about 3 miles an hour. They 
travel from 6 to 18 inches under the surface, sucking down one 
fly after another, and usually heading upwind. Their habits, however, 
are different in a stream. They usually choose a certain spot and 
remain there, often rising for weeks at the flies floating down. This 
is why dry-fly fishing is practised on streams. The angler sees a fish 
rise, and casts his fly almost over the ring it made; did he do this 
on a loch the trout would be yards away by the time his fly alighted, 
and would not see it. 
During cold weather the trout leave the shallows and go 
into deep water, where they remain during winter. When spring 
comes they begin again to seek shallower water, where food is more 
plentiful. Trout in Loch Leven 24 years old usually weigh about 
Stoze 8 3F years, » Ib. 4) years, 1 to 2-Ibs!; 54 years, 2°to. 3 lbs.; 
5 to 7 years, 21 to 5 lbs. (Fig. 197). After this, as has already been 
said, most of them die. The condition of the trout depends much on 
the weather in April and May, and if seasonable at all are soon 
in good condition; again in a cold spring I have seem them in 
better condition in the middle of April than they sometimes are in the 
middle of May. These two months, however, have generally more 
effect than other months in bringing trout into condition, both in Loch 
Leven and other lochs as well. In Loch Leven the young trout 
which have not spawned are usually about } lb. in weight during 
the winter, and are in much better condition than those that have 
spawned and become kelts (Fig. 198), consequently it is usually 
the smaller trout that come first into condition. The trout that 
spawn early come into good condition much quicker than those that 
spawn late, so that there are trout constantly coming into good 
condition from April to the end of August. The largest ones are 
usually the last to be in good condition. After the end of August 
they begin to become lean and to lose colour again. When in best 
condition a Loch Leven trout is generally as well coloured as a 
