4'i Sweden. 



come in fresh, and I never by any chance saw either spawn or milt 

 in any of these small fish. I have carefully examined many speci- 

 mens of both, and I can come to no other conclusion than that 

 these smaller fish are only the young of the vendace. 



The burbot {Lota vulgaris, Cuv.) is common in all parts of the 

 Wenern, and runs often to a very large size, although fourteen 

 pounds is the largest I e\'er saw, and this was taken on a night line 

 in the middle of summtr. They are usually taken in stake-nets 

 under the ice in winter, when they come up on to the shallows to 

 spawn. In a good season, the burbot can be bought in Carlstad 

 market for i^. 6d. the Swedish pound (about twenty pounds 

 English). The burbot is only in season when it is spawning, and 

 then the liver and caviare are indeed delicacies. 



The pike (Esox Lucius, Cuv.), notwithstanding the persecution he 

 receives at all hands, still battles his way bravely, and holds his own 

 in every water where food is to be obtained. The Wenern pike 

 run to a large size, and in the months of June and July a score 

 might be caught in a day by a man seated in the stern of a punt, a 

 bait and swivel dragging after him. No rod is required for this 

 sport, and a spoon bait, I fancy, answers as well as any other. This 

 may certainly be termed ''fishing made easy." The rower pulh 

 slowly and gently round all the reed beds where the pike lie in 

 summer. When the fisherman is single-handed he rows, and holds 

 the line in his mouth. 



The perch {Perca Jiuviatilis, L.) also run to a large size in the 

 Wenern, and there are certain grounds where almost any quantity 

 may be caught in a summer afternoon's fishing, A perch of three 

 pounds is not at all uncommon, but I once caught one nearly five 

 pounds. 



The rufie {P. Cernua, Cuv.) is common in the Wenern, but, as 

 in Britain, runs to no great size. 



The pike-perch {Perca Lucioperca, Cuv.) is another famous fish 

 in these waters, afibrding excellent sport to the angler, and capital 

 eating when caught. In fact, in my opinion, a pike-perch caught 

 in the summer, when they are best in season for firmness and white- 



