FRESHWATER TROUT 19 



good trouting-streams as those where there are none, 

 the small fish consuming a large proportion of the 

 food of the river. Placing some obstruction at the 

 mouth of a stream in order to prevent the migratory 

 species from ascending it, would improve materially 

 the size of the common trout it contains. Gala and 

 Leader Waters are examples of this. At the mouth 

 of the former there are mill-caulds which salmon 

 cannot get over ; near the mouth of the latter a 

 rarely-surmounted waterfall ; consequently there are 

 no parr, and the trout are much larger than in any 

 similar tributaries of the Tweed where parr are to 

 be found. A proprietor on the Leader made a well- 

 meant but injudicious attempt to let salmon up ; 

 happily, as it has proved, with little success ; and 

 we think it is not worth while spoiling the trouting 

 qualifications of such a stream as the Leader, in 

 order to secure a few ill-conditioned salmon in the 

 end of the season. Clean fish will never ascend so 

 small a stream, and it will afford encouragement to 

 some idle vagabonds to poach in winter. 



The trout is unquestionably a voracious feeder, 

 and when hungry is not at all particular as to what 

 it satisfies its appetite upon. Flies and aquatic 

 insects of all descriptions, minnows and other small 

 fish, worms, beetles, snails and frogs are equally 

 victims to its rapacity ; nor does it feel any com- 

 punctions in devouring the smaller members of its 

 own species. We once, when angling with the 

 minnow in Leader Water, caught a trout of five or 

 six ounces in weight with the tail of a fish protruding 



