CONISTON LAKE o- 



There are numerous shallow, pebbly bays, and 

 food is abundant. The east shore of the lake 

 affords the best trout-ground, particularly at the 

 north end. Good fish, too, are generally found on 

 the west bank at the north end of the lake, just off 

 the big bank of stones. The shallow estuaries of 

 the feeders are less promising than they look, but 

 this is probably owing to the shallowness through 

 silting up. 



April, May, and the early part of June are un- 

 doubtedly the best months ; and personally the 

 writer has found a cast made up as follows the 

 most effective : March brown, woodcock, and a 

 nondescript chestnut-brown fly with tinsel body ; 

 later, March brown, green-drake, and Zulu. 



Good fish may be taken with winged flies at 

 the close of hot days if not dressed on too large 

 hook, No. 3 for preference. A white and a brown 

 bustard also prove useful. The Bracken-clock 

 does better on the tributary streams than on the 

 lake itself. Squally winds and choppy black water 

 are common on Coniston, and these put the trout 

 down at once. 



Better trout are got by trolling (averaging over 

 half a pound) than with the fly ; but there is a 

 good deal of luck in trolling, and once a fish is 

 hooked it merely requires carefully hauling in, and 

 netting, a thing at which a novice may become 

 competent in a day. The fine art of the fly- fisher 

 is lacking, and the enjoyment much less keen. To 

 put it plainly, trolling is scarcely skilled sport. 



Mr. Arthur Severn, of Brantwood, who has fished 

 Coniston practically all his life, kindly sends me 

 the following note on the fishing in that lake : 



" There are quantities of char in Coniston, but 



