WHITE TROUT. 103 



little barred fish, abundant in the Western Irish 

 lakes, which the natives call a "gub," the dimin- 

 utive of " gubberhorn," a term which I believe 

 means " little" in Erse, and is commonly applied 

 to a tricksy, semi-malignant spirit recognised by 

 the Irish peasant. These " gubs," which run from 

 an ounce to a quarter of a pound, are in number 

 numberless, and from their constantly rising at the 

 fly constitute a serious hindrance to white trout 

 fishing. They are yellow, well-shaped fish, with five 

 or six well-defined dusky marks across the back 

 and sides. I do not think that any naturalist has 

 as yet classed or named them, but I trust they 

 may find a place in the next work on the natural 

 history of fishes. 



To resume the subject of white trout, I am con- 

 tent to follow Yarrell, and to consider it a distinct 

 fish, and fully entitled, by its various good qualities, 

 to the precedence over other trout apparently ex- 

 pressed by the affix " trutta^ Handsome in shape, 

 harmonious in colour, delicious to eat, a free riser, 

 and a sufficiently game fish, there is in my opinion 

 none that excels, none that equals, the white trout 

 in the qualities most desired in a fish ; and I hold 

 that a good day's white trout fishing in one of the 

 western Irish lakes is about as enjoyable as any- 

 thing that falls to man's lot in this weary world. 



