IRELAND 193 



The LAUXE is a peculiar river, as to which, through 

 the kindness of Lord Kenmare and Lord Castlerosse, 

 I am able to give particulars. Having regard to the 

 number of the fish that pass through it to the Lakes 

 of Killarney, one would expect it to be a first-class 

 angling river ; but that is not the case. There are 

 only a few long stretches of deep water in the course 

 of nine miles from the lakes to the head of the tide- 

 way, and thus there is but little inducement for the 

 fish to linger in the river. It is mainly for this reason, 

 perhaps, that sport on the Laune has not shown 

 that marked falling-off noticeable in the take in the 

 commercial fisheries since 1897. There is small scope 

 for variation. The commercial decrease has been 

 as regards the grilse fishing in summer, rather than 

 as regards the salmon fishing in spring. Thus, it is 

 probable that the few pools on the river have 

 held, of late years, almost as many fish as they 

 held when fishing throughout the district generally 

 was much better. There is not much pollution ; 

 in this respect the Laune is practically as healthy 

 as it was a century ago. On the other hand, in 

 consequence of the more extensive drainage of the 

 catchment basin, floods pass off more rapidly than 

 they used to do, and the river keeps lower than was 

 its wont when the land was saturated. The vigilance 

 of the Laune Angling Association helps effectively 

 to preserve the river from poachers. On the whole, 

 it may be said that, although the stock of fish in the 

 Killamey district has diminished, the angling interest 

 has not suffered proportionately. 



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