192 THE PRACTICAL ANGLER 



feeding-ground ; the greater part of it being of the 

 depth of from six to twelve feet, just the depth of 

 water best suited to breeding fish. The fishing is 

 under the management of a tacksman, who keeps a 

 number of boats which are let out at half a crown an 

 hour, including a man to manage the boat, and, 

 considering that the trout sell at eighteenpence a 

 pound, that two can fish from a boat, and that 

 anglers are allowed to keep their fish, we think the 

 charge moderate. Any of the flies we have recom- 

 mended for loch-fishing will suit Loch Leven ; we 

 have also had very good sport by trolling with 

 Brown's artificial minnow. 



The artificial fly is by far the most agreeable and 

 sportsmanlike method of capturing trout in lochs, 

 but is liable to this objection, that the large trout 

 are very rarely taken by it. And though the reader 

 may hear of five, six, and even eight pound trout 

 being taken by this means, he may rest assured that, 

 however well he may fish, he will catch but few 

 such. 



The large trout in lochs seem to live principally 

 on their smaller neighbours, and can be more readily 

 taken by trolling than by any other means. It is 

 not at all uncommon to find the trout captured with 

 fly rarely exceeding half a pound in weight ; while 

 trout of five, ten, and sometimes even twenty pounds 

 weight, may be taken by means of a small fish for 

 a bait. If the trout are not large, a minnow or parr- 

 tail will form the best bait ; but if the angler expects 

 to meet with trout exceeding two or three pounds 



