ANGLING FOR LAKE TROUT. 131 



fishing for them is almost as well adapted for catching 

 sharks as trout; the angler being apparently more 

 anxious to have it in his power to state that he had 

 caught a fish of such a size, than to enjoy the pleasure 

 of the sport itself. However, to the credit of both 

 parties, it may be stated, that the very strongest tackle 

 is sometimes snapped in two by its first tremendous 

 springs. The ordinary method of fishing for this kind 

 of trout, is with a powerful rod, from a boat rowing 

 at the rate of from three to four miles an hour, the 

 lure a common trout from three to ten inches in length, 

 baited upon six or eight salmon hooks, tied back to 

 back upon strong gimp, assisted by two swivels, and 

 the wheel-line strong whip-cord. Yet all this, in the 

 first impetuous efforts of the fish to regain its liberty, 

 is frequently carried away for ever into the crystal 

 depths of Loch Awe. 



(f When in their highest health and condition, and 

 indeed the whole of the time in which they are not 

 employed in the operation of spawning, these fish will 

 scarcely ever rise at a fly. At these periods they ap- 

 pear to be almost entirely piscivorous ; so that, with the 

 exception of night lines, baited also with trout, trolling 

 is the only advisable mode of angling for them. The 

 young, however, rise very freely at ordinary lake-trout 

 flies, and are generally caught in this way, from one to 

 one and a half pound weight. They occur abundantly 

 near the outlet of the lake. 



' ' About the middle of August, and during the three 

 following months, the parent fish retire, for the pur- 

 pose of spawning, to the deep banks of the lake in the 



