SURFACE-FEEDING SEA FISH 377 



able numbers, they are, perhaps, best fished for in many places 

 from the shore, the fly, or worm, or spinning bait being cast just 

 over the edge of the weeds. An excellent bait, too, for the 

 purpose is that cut out of a piece of sole-skin (p. 138). If, on 

 the other hand, the fish are scarce, and it is necessary to trail a 

 long distance to make sure of the bait being presented to a 

 sufficient number, then, of course, a boat must be used. Such 

 fishing, trolling, trailing, or spinning, as you please to call it, is 

 carried on extensively in the kyles of Durness and Tongue with 

 natural sand-eels or other bright spinning baits, natural or arti- 

 ficial. Very large sea trout are caught in this way, the tackle 

 being much the same as would be used in fresh water. The 

 amount of lead should be varied according to the force of the 

 current and depth of the water ; but just enough to keep the 

 line from kinking, a quarter of an ounce or a little more, is as 

 a rule sufficient, as the sea trout generally feed close to the 

 surface. If the water be thickened by storms or flood water 

 from rivers, then more lead should be used and the bait fished 

 near the bottom. The lightest possible anti-kinking lead is 

 shown in the illustration on p. 260. Note that the lead wire 

 is placed above the swivels. 



Some years ago naturalists supposed that there were several 

 species of trout. Now, owing to the observations of fish 

 culturists, who by keeping fish in their ponds have reduced this 

 branch of ichthyology to a more or less exact science, the better 

 opinion seems to be that there is but one trout, which is subject 

 to variations in its appearance according to local surroundings, 

 food, sex, and age. If it be rightly assumed that the fish in 

 Loch Leven were originally sea trout which subsequently be- 

 came landlocked, there is apparently no difference between a 

 sea trout and the common brown trout of our rivers. In Loch 

 Leven these fish certainly have an appearance somewhat sug- 

 gestive of sea trout ; but in other waters they so change their 



