So 



uppearuuce quite distinct from the Darentli brown trout. 

 But when their third year came we had a big push of water 

 doAvu, aud everyone of those Loch Levens went away with 

 it to the sea. I know very well that some of my angling, 

 naturalist friends will say that these Leven trout became 

 assimilated to the native trout and thus became 

 indistinguishable. It is an ingenious theory, but it will 

 not hold water ; because I and others are able to fix the 

 period of migration, and to prove that some of these fish 

 Avere captured in the eel traps as they went away to the 

 sea. I am not prepared to deny that Loch Levens when 

 crossed with common brown trout, lose their distinctive 

 characteristics, but once a pure Loch Leven, always a Loch 

 Leven. 



Since the construction of the Darentli Valley main 

 drainage system — with its outfall sewer laid beside the 

 course of the river — there has been a marked decrease in 

 the volume of water in the stream. This has, in turn, 

 affected the fishing prejudicially, by making the trout more 

 shy and difiicult to approach, upon the shallows. In fact 

 some of the best spots, in former times, are no longer worth 

 fishing over, as there is no longer water enough to cover 

 anything larger than a yearling. It must not be imagined, 

 however, from these fore":oino: remarks, that I consider our 

 charming little trout stream is in a bad way. On the con- 

 trary, it is well stocked with very fine trout, and my only 

 desire is to stimulate those who fish it, to each do something 

 towards keeping up the reputation of the Darentli. 



AVith regard to the best killing flies on this river, if I 

 was condemned to select and use only one pattern my choice 

 would be a blue-winged, ginger-hackled, quill-bodied, gnat. 

 But as I am not so restricted in choice, my fly-box contains 

 some fifty stock patterns, to say nothing of fancy produc- 

 tions. One of the most curious things about the Darenth 

 flies is that you may have a run of unprecedented luck on 

 some particular fly, which will be taken greedily by the 

 trout for a whole season. And then you will never see 

 another counterpart of this fly for two or three years. This 

 is true of the big olive duns, the whirling blues, primrose 



