ULLSWATER 87 



resort to another. The lead-mines have been in 

 active operation for nearly a century, and this 

 period has sufficed to exterminate the species. 

 Owing to its great depth, Ullswater is peculiarly 

 favourable for char, and this makes the extermina- 

 tion of the fish all the more regrettable. In 

 1895, however, Major Parkin (who has fishery 

 rights on the lake), in conjunction with Mr. Bush, 

 turned 10,000 char fry into the lake, and it is 

 hoped that in time they may effectually re-stock 

 Ullswater with this handsome fish. 1 In times 

 past most of the char in Ullswater were caught 

 by putting a net across the lake at a place 

 called the Narrows, from Skelly Nab to Hallin 

 End. Defoe and Dr. Heysham also mention the 

 Ullswater char. 



When char were common in the lake, small 

 takes were occasionally had with the fly, but 

 they were more commonly taken by trolling. The 

 late G. F. Braithwaite frequently fished Ullswater. 

 and had many takes of both trout and char, the 

 heaviest char he ever took being just under I Ib. in 

 weight. 



The trout in Ullswater do not run to a large 

 size they average about three or four to the pound. 

 Fish of one pound are not at all uncommon, and 

 trout of 2 Ibs. and 3 Ibs. have been taken with the 



1 Major Parkin informs me (May, 1898) that as yet nothing 

 has been seen of these fish. This is regrettable, and in the 

 writer's opinion it is a pity that yearling char were not sub- 

 stituted for fry, as it is always questionable whether it is wise 

 to turn fry into any large sheet of water which already con- 

 tains predatory fish. The mortality among fry is invariably 

 great (often as high as 90 per cent.), while yearlings, if 

 turned down at suitable places, are well able to take care of 

 themselves. 



