106 SALMON FISHING 



place, systematised the lures for that particular 

 water. 



Salmon lakes, as a rule, are large tracts. One 

 feels rather at sea on a first visit to Loch Tay, 

 or to Loch Ness, or to Lough Derg; even smaller 

 lakes present a problem. Where are you to begin, 

 and whither go ? Gillies acquainted with the water 

 have no doubt. They will keep pretty close to the 

 shores, and skirt round islands. That is not wrong. 

 Many salmon do certainly lie near the land. It is 

 there that most of the rises are. I am not sure, 

 however, that this suggests a complete answer to 

 our question. Salmon do not shun the deepest pools 

 in a river, some of which are much deeper than the 

 margin of a lake. Indeed, very deep pools on a 

 river are favourite haunts of the fish. Nevertheless, 

 it is generally assumed that they frequent the 

 shallower parts of a lake exclusively. This belief 

 might be accepted without suspicion if it were not 

 that a similar belief about the habits of trout is 

 open to question. Trout are sought and found 

 all over Lochleven; but Lochleven is exceptional. 

 Whilst the whole of it is comparatively shallow, 

 most lakes are shallow only at the sides, and on 

 these it is along the shores that the boats of the 

 trout fishers drift. It is thought that to go farther 

 out would be a waste of time and effort. That, I 

 admit, would be the case in a breeze sufficiently high 

 to tip the waves with spray. I have tried often 

 enough to be sure that in such weather, or in rougher 

 weather, you cannot, on the deep parts of a lake, 



