1 68 THE SEA-TROUT 



fish would venture to pass the dark shadow cast by the first of these 

 bridges which hung so closely over their heads, and above it the fish 

 would lie in a mass waiting apparently till darkness came on. One 

 could see them dropping down to the shadow, but they would invariably 

 turn back upstream ; none would face the mysterious obstruction. 



During their descent as kelts, sea-trout take freely and impartially 

 whatever lure the angler offers to them, fly, worm or " minnow," and 

 they may often be seen plunging at such natural flies as are on the 

 water, the March brown being a special favourite with them as it is with 

 salmon. It is often alleged that they make great havoc amongst the 

 smolts which are migrating to the sea about the same time that they 

 are descending the rivers. Judging from the voracity with which they 

 attack a spoon-bait or artificial minnow, it is reasonable to suppose that 

 many a smolt must fall a victim, but I am disposed to think that the 

 damage done by them in this respect has been much exaggerated. It 

 would be quite easy for a kclt sea-trout to gorge itself on smolts, but I 

 have never seen one so gorged, although I have seen them, when well- 

 mended in the estuary, literally gorged with herring fry. 



I do not think that the sea-trout in their progress seaward rapidly 

 regain condition while in fresh water, for, except in one respect, they 

 " mend " but little. They do not put on flesh to any great extent, but 

 they assume a vivid brilliancy of silvery scale which even the ascending 

 " clean " fish can hardly rival. It is, however, meretricious splendour 

 at best — as someone has well expressed it the difference is like that 

 between tin and silver — and the " well-mended kelt " a few hours after 

 death has a general limp look of washy flabbiness which betrays it. 



If the kelt sea-trout thus linger in the river pools it is a natural 

 supposition that they will still further protract their descent if any 

 considerable loch has to be traversed in course of the journey. That 

 they do so all anglers in Loch Ness, Loch Awe, Loch Lomond, and 

 such great lakes are aware. It seems to require a specially warm April 



