THE BULL-TROUT. 881 



clear enough, large, gaudy, artificial flies should be used ; 

 and when discoloured, well-scoured worms, with which, hav- 

 ing a running-line, angle in or near the sides of streams, 

 with a shot or two at the lines, about fifteen inches from the 

 hook, which should be No. 3 or 4. This is a strong fish in 

 its element, and therefore, when hooked, plenty of line must 

 be given. 



THE BULL-TROUT. 



This fish is distinguished from the salmon and salmon- 

 trout by the form of the gill-cover, being more acute at its 

 lower front angle than in either of these ; the teeth are 

 longer and stronger than those of the salmon ; but, like the 

 salmon, the two or three teeth that may be seen on the 

 vomen occupy the most anterior part only. When the fish 

 is twelve months old its tail is square, at which time it is 

 the whiting of the Tweed ; and when more matured it as- 

 sumes the name of the bull-trout ; and the central rays of 

 the tail continuing to increase in length with age, the poste- 

 rior edge becomes convex, a variation in form which has 

 obtained for the fish at Annan, in Scotland, the designation 

 of " roundtaiV when old, and the " sea-trout," when young. 

 It is very plentiful in all the streams which empty themselves 

 into the Solway Frith, viz., the Dee, the Urr, the Nith, the 

 Annan, the Kirtle, the Sark, and the Esk. This trout is 

 also occasionally met with in the Tweed ; and those called 

 the Warkworth-trout and Coquet-trout of Northumberland 

 and Durham, are the young of this species. In the Tweed 

 they are as plentiful as salmon. They also occur in the 

 Devonshire and Cornwall rivers, as well as the estuary of the 

 Severn, and some of the rivers of South Wales. Mr. Low 

 says, it inhabits the Loch of Stenness, Orkney. 



The ordinary weight of the bull-trout is fifteen pounds. 



