PIKE IN TROUT WATERS 203 



but for the all-round angler, and the man who does 

 not disdain the use of a salmon fly or a spinning bait, 

 there is a store of sport. Nature's balance appears 

 to be fairly maintained as regards the relative 

 numbers of Salmonidae and coarse fish which live 

 there. Now and then an enthusiast arises with the 

 laudable determination to re-stock the river with 

 young Salmonidae. Much money is spent in carry- 

 ing out his objects, but, in view of the piscivorous 

 propensities of the river's population, I fear the 

 returns seldom reach the high estimate for which his 

 imagination has led him to hope. 



The modern craze for establishing trout in 

 unsuitable waters has caused the ruin of many 

 former pike haunts, with no compensating results 

 so far as the trout are concerned. A good pike 

 river can seldom be converted into an equally good 

 trout stream, and, bearing in mind the growing scarcity 

 of first-class pike fishing, it would seem that some 

 fishery proprietors are following a mistaken policy, 

 which might in the end prove costly to them. 



A large and valuable stock of trout is maintained 

 in many of our lakes and reservoirs in these islands. 

 Both in Lake Windermere and Loch Leyen, for 

 instance, there are still pike, and occasionally reports 

 come to hand of heavy fish taken by various means. 



