164 ELEMENTS OF ANGLING. 



water of much the same size and appearance. In? 

 many moorland lochs the trout barely reach a 

 quarter of a pound in weight, while in others,, 

 sometimes within a mile or two, two-pounders and 

 three-pounders are not uncommon. The most 

 noteworthy instance of growth in lake trout of 

 recent years has been at Blagdon Lake, the new 

 reservoir which supplies the needs of Bristol, Here 

 the fish run up to four pounds and five pounds, the 

 average size now being rather over three pounds. In 

 the first two years of its existence as a fishing 

 resort the average was a good deal higher, and not 

 a few monsters up to nine pounds were caught, but 

 recently the biggest fish seem to have acquired! 

 cunning. Nevertheless, inasmuch as a five-pounder 

 is a prize from any water, the lake affords a 

 wonderful example of what trout may attain to. 



It must be confessed that as a race cannibal; 

 trout are not very responsive to the fly-fisher's 

 efforts, but still they are to be caught with the fly 

 rod. Mayfly and sedge fishing, about the only 

 dry-fly methods which have a chance, have been 

 discussed. Small flies, both dry and wet, score 

 only a very occasional success with trout over 

 about three pounds, except in one or two highly 

 favoured waters. There remains to the fly- 

 fisherman only what may be termed generically 



