ON LAKES, POOLS, ETC. 147 



lake trout. Still, as others may differ from me on 

 this point, and I do not wish to advocate my opinion 

 too strongly, I merely record it without urging it 

 upon anyone. But if the matter could be regu- 

 lated as I have above put it, and it became a nice 

 question of how many pounds of fish per annum 

 will Loch Lonely produce me, I should be inclined 

 to hold to my views upon the subject. Looking at 

 the question again, as a sportsman, I care little for 

 these big fish these great unapproachables. They 

 have my profound respect ; should one ever chance to 

 leave his card on me, his condescension will gratify 

 me hugely ; but the lively, free-rising two or three- 

 pounder has my best affections, and is the object of 

 my tenderest aspirations and hopes. Deed and truth, 

 I'll step out in the gloaming, and scale mountains 

 and wade bogs, like a fervent lover, to flirt with my 

 fair young lady trout of two or three pounds' weight, 

 when I wouldn't wet the soles of my boots for the 

 bare chance of seeing her grandmother, though I 

 should dearly like to " take a rise ""' out of the old 

 lady too, if she happened to come in my way. 



The angler will be rather a gainer than a loser by 

 a proper management of the waters, and the sport- 

 ing and commercial interests in all fishing matters 

 are entirely identical. Their objects are the lest fish, 

 L2 



