CHAPTER VI 



WHITEFISH AND THE GRAYLING 



Whitefish. The British species : the Lochmaben Vendace— 

 the Cumberland Vendace— the Lough Neagh Pollan— the 

 Lough Erne Pollan — the Shannon Pollan — the Powan— the 

 Schelly — the Gwyniad — the Routing — the Grayling 



THE Whitefish, or Salmonoid fishes of the 

 genus Coregonus, differ from Salmon, Trout, 

 and Char in their larger scales, and in having the 

 mouth small, with the teeth very minute or absent ; 

 they are very like Herrings in general appearance, 

 but the presence of an adipose dorsal fin indicates 

 their pertinence to the Salmon family. 



The Whitefish resemble the Char in their dis- 

 tribution, inhabiting the northern parts of North 

 America, Europe, and Asia, and on the continent 

 of Europe ranging southwards to the alpine lakes 

 of Switzerland and the Tyrol ; most of the rather 

 numerous species are freshwater fishes, but in arctic 

 regions they are marine, entering the rivers for 

 breeding purposes, and some of the more southern 

 forms also still retain this migratory habit. 



Whitefish are seldom caught by the angler in 

 Europe, although some of the American species are 

 said to rise to the fly ; however, they are valued as 

 food, and are netted in all localities where they 

 occur in sufficient number. 



