I50 



THE SEA-TROUT 



sport to be got with sea-trout is often to be found in such tidal reaches 

 for the fish as a rule, when they take at all, will take the fly freely. 



The shoals for the most part fall back with the receding tide, only 

 a few braving the ascent, but when the river rises they no longer fall 

 back but boldly push upstream. In some places where a bridge 

 spanning the river gives opportunity for observation, hundreds may be 

 seen strung out in a long procession, maintaining a kind of formation, 

 it would seem, under an accepted leadership. Mr. Malloch, it is worth 

 noting here, makes a curious statement about the running habits of 

 sea-trout and salmon. " No matter what its size may be," he writes, 

 " the sea-trout always runs in a zig-zag fashion — first to the one side 

 and then to the other. The salmon, on the other hand, runs in a 

 straight direction." I cannot confirm this, although I do not pretend 

 to dispute the accuracy of Mr. Malloch's observation. The fact seems 

 of no great importance and is hardly a practical method, one would 

 think, of distinguishing a salmon from a sea-trout in which connection 

 Mr. Malloch adduces it. 



The sensitiveness — or is it instinct? — which enables sea-trout to 

 anticipate a coming change in the weather is, I think, well illustrated 

 by the following brief extracts taken from a diary which was kept by 

 the late Mr. Alfred Brown of Luss, for the year 1897. 



" June 25. Fine weather continues. River and Loch very 

 low. Large quantity sea-trout entered the former on 22nd and 

 are lying in the pools in the meadow. This is supposed to 

 indicate a coming flood. 



" June 26. The sea-trout noted above have returned to the 

 loch. No rain has come — dry — bright sun — north wind — very fine. 



" June 27. The spate came. Sea-trout ascending the river in 

 great numbers. The fish have thus only been wrong by a few 

 days." 



In pushing on to spawning redds there are few obstacles which a 

 sea-trout will not surmount. They show the most astonishing skill in 



