CHAP. IV.] LOCHLEVEN TROUT. 139 



the trout kind, but it roves about in these deep waters enacting 

 the parts of the bully and the cannibal to all lesser creatures, 

 and driving before it even the hungry pike. Persons residing 

 near the great lochs capture these large trout by setting night 

 lines for them. As has been already mentioned, they are 

 exceedingly voracious, and have been known to be dragged for 

 long distances, and even after losing hold of the bait to seize 

 it again with great eagerness, and so have been finally cap- 

 tured. These great lake trout are also to be found in other 

 countries. 



In Lochleven, at Kinross, in the county of Fife, twenty- 

 two miles from Edinburgh, there will be found localised that 

 beautiful trout which is peculiar to this one loch, and which 

 I have already referred to as one of the mysterious fishes of 

 Scotland. This fish although its quality is said to have 

 been degenerated by the drainage of the lake in 1830, at which 

 period it was reduced by draining to a third of its former 

 dimensions is of considerable commercial value; it cannot 

 be bought in Edinburgh under two shillings a pound weight ; 

 and if it was properly cultivated might yield a large revenue. 

 I have not been able to obtain recent statistics of " the take" 

 of Lochleven trout, but in former years during the seven 

 months of the fishing season it used to range from fifteen thou- 

 sand to twenty thousand pounds weight, and at the time re- 

 ferred to all trout under three-quarters of a pound in weight 

 were thrown back into the water by order of the lessee. Eighty- 

 five dozen of these fine trout have been known to be taken at 

 a single haul, while from twenty to thirty dozen used to be a 

 very common take. As to perch, they used to be caught in 

 thousands. Little has or can be said about Lochleven trout, 

 except that they are a speciality. Some learned people (but I 

 take leave to differ from them) consider the Lochleven fish to be 

 identical with Salmo fario, but never in any of my piscatorial 

 wanderings have I found its equal in colour, flavour, or shape. 



