CONISTON LAKE 99 



Lowesvvater three-quarters of a mile distant 

 is regularly and systematically netted, and its trout 

 average a pound apiece. And yet all these fish 

 exist under practically identical conditions. 



As to whether Coniston has ever been a really 

 productive lake, except in the numerical sense, is a 

 question. There are three or four exclusive rights 

 of fishery, but the nets have never been used other 

 than intermittently. When the fishery rights were 

 let, they were given up because the professional 

 fishermen could not make them pay. This non- 

 success was attributed to unfair methods of fishing, 

 and to deterioration owing to pollution from the 

 mines. 



At one period the whole of the lake fisheries 

 were leased by Mr. Marshall (who had himself 

 private rights), but the fishing was done by agents, 

 and results did not justify its continuance. Trout 

 and char were chiefly taken, the trout proving 

 most remunerative. At this time, for the reasons 

 stated, the char were comparatively few in num- 

 bers ; but, as a result of the netting, they increased 

 in size. Concurrently with this both trout and 

 char fry were being turned into the lake, about 

 1,000,000 in all. 



During the period referred to (although the net- 

 ting was on a very limited scale) it is interesting 

 to note that there was an increase in size in the fish. 



Trolling went on concurrently, and for twelve 

 days in one season an angler averaged six fish a 

 day. The first season after the nets were taken off, 

 one angler had 509 trout and char ; in the suc- 

 ceeding season 393 ; and in subsequent years 197, 

 1 68, 146, 21 and 20. As the fishing degenerated, 

 less and less attention was paid to the lake. 



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