THE CHARR. 149 



The Charr. 



The charr is also of the salmon genus. Of this species there 

 appears to be two varieties ; one the Northern, and the other the 

 Welsh charr; they are said sometimes to attain the length of two 

 feet, but they are rarely met with of more than half that size. The 

 position of the fins is like that of the trout, only that the Welsh 

 charr is distinguishable from the Northern one, by the central fins 

 being of a more rounded form ; the eyes larger, the gape of the jaws 

 wider, the teeth more powerful, and altogether it is a much stouter 

 built fish, being in proportion to the other, as the bull is to the 

 salmon trout. The upper part of the body is a deep brown, in 

 both species, and the lower parts of a deep orange approaching to 

 red, from which the Welsh charr is said to derive its name of 

 torgoch or red belly ; the pectoral, ventral, and anal fins also par- 

 take of this colour : the dorsal and caudal being of a dark brown, 

 tinged with a darker colour, having a purple cast. The body, 

 both above and below the lateral line, is marked with numerous 

 red spots like those in the common trout. When out of condition 

 the back becomes of a purplish brown, and the lower parts acquire 

 a paler hue, whilst several white spots make their appearance 

 above the lateral line. 



The Northern charr is an inhabitant of the large lakes of the 

 Northern part of the kingdom, and is also found in some of the 

 lochs in Scotland and Ireland, but is never found to stray into any 

 of the streams communicating with them, except for the purpose of 

 spawning. It is a most delicious fish, but owing to its abstemious 

 habits, it is rarely caught by the angler, though a few are some- 

 times taken with a minnow trolling from a boat ; and sometimes a 

 stray one may be caught with an artificial fly ; but this does not 

 frequently happen, and the idea of catching enough to make up a 

 day's sport is wholly out of the question. In fact no sensible fish- 

 erman would think of wasting his time in fishing for them pur- 

 posely, but when they do come to his hook then, from the extreme 

 rarity of the circumstance, they are considered a prize well worth 

 the capture, The fact is these fish inhabit the deepest part of the 



