BITEB TEOUT.] 



ANGLING. 



[lake TliOUT. 



Leven trout, Great Lake trout; the charr, 

 pmelt, grayling, groniad, vendan, poman, pol- 

 lan, and the argentine. It would occupy too 

 inucli space to do more than tbua notice the 

 whole of these ; but some of the principal of 

 the species must be described. The most 

 characteristic feature of the family is the pe- 

 culiar form of the posterior dorsal fin, which 

 is fleshy and adipose, or destitute of rays. 

 The enumeration we have given, however, 

 does not constitute quite one-half of the 

 family, when viewed in relation to Europe. 

 Both America and Africa produce other forms ; 

 but these, to some extent, deviate from the 

 typical structure. The most characteristic 

 members are the most northerly fresh-water 

 fish with which the naturalist is acquainted. 

 According to the opinion of some anglers, the 

 salmon bites most frequently from about six 

 o'clock in the morning to eleven in the fore- 

 noon ; and from three in the afternoon till 

 sunset. The best months are those of March, 

 April, May, and June. Sometimes this 

 noble fish measures four feet in length, and 

 weighs upwards of seventy pounds. The 

 capture of such a pisces is a prize indeed. 

 The most successful bait to take it with is 

 the artificial fly, made in imitation of butter- 

 ilies and dragon-flies of various kinds. At the 

 loot of a strong stream, where there is an 

 eddy or a whirlpool, salmon are most fre- 

 quently found when feeding ; and old 

 Walton observes, that you shall find he does 

 not usually stay long in a place, as trouts 

 will, but covets still to go nearer the spring- 

 head. In trolling with the minnows or other 

 small fish, the foot-lengths ought to be about 

 three yards, and provided with one or two 

 swivels, to prevent the line from twisting, as 

 well as to allow the bait to have free play. 



THE COMMON RIVER TROUT. 



This is the sahno fario of Naturalists ; and 

 although, perhaps, the best known of our 

 fresh-water fishes, it is among the most beau- 

 tiful of the species. It is generally distributed 

 not only throughout Great Britain, but over 

 the whole of Northern Europe, and that, too, 

 '.n such abundance that there is hardly a col- 

 /ection of water of any extent, whether run- 

 ning or stationary, in which it is not to be 

 found. It is pre-eminently the angler's fiah 

 1006 



as it is always open to the temptation of 

 bait, and may be taken by the rod, at almost 

 any time of the year, not even excepting the 

 winter months in favourable weather ; but 

 during the proper fishing season, when the 

 river or lake is in good condition, it is almost 

 certain to aff'ord plenty of sport. It would 

 appear that there are some strange and un- 

 accountable differences to be seen in several 

 of the same species of fish, but more particu- 

 larly in trout. This was observed by Isaac 

 Walton, who says — "I tell you, that you may 

 the better believe that I am certain, if I catch 

 a trout in one meadow, he shall be white and 

 faint, and very like to be lousy ; and as cer- 

 tainly, if I catch a trout in the next meadow, 

 he shall be strong, and red, and lusty, and 

 much better meat. Trust me, scholar," he 

 continues, "I have caught many a trout in a 

 particular meadow, that the very shape and 

 the enamelled colour of him hath been such as 

 joyed me to look on him; and I have then, 

 with much pleasure, concluded, with Solomon, 

 ' Everything is beautiful in his season.' " 

 This fish is generally supposed to rise more 

 freely during gloomy weather, succeeding clear, 

 bright nights ; as, when the moon is clear, they 

 confine themselves to shadowy places. It is, 

 therefore, supposed that in the following day 

 they are hungry, and more ready to snap at 

 bait. 



THE GREAT LAKE TROUT. 



This is the salmo ferox of Natural His- 

 tory, and sometimes weighs two pounds ; 

 though its usual weight is under one. In the 

 first volume of the Naturalist' s Library, it is 

 said that " some varieties spawn about Michael- 

 mas, ascending, for a short way, the rivers 

 that feed their native lakes ; others spawn in 

 the end of December, and deposit their ova in 

 the shallow parts of the lake. The charr 

 occurs in all the three kingdoms, although it 

 is by no means generally distributed. The 

 northern lochs of Scotland yield it in tolerable 

 plenty; it is also found in Orkney, and has 

 been long known in some of the Welsh lakes. 

 As it haunts deep, cool water, and is seldom 

 found at the surface till late in the autum..i, it 

 is not frequently made an object of sport 

 with anglers. In the Cumberland and West- 

 moreland lakes, however, it may be taken 



