SMALLER LAKES 125 



encountered such difficulties and lost such a large proportion 

 of those fish hatched out, that they ultimately abandoned the 

 principle altogether. For many years past they have simply 

 turned down the young fish (as soon as the yoke sac had 

 been absorbed) into the streams which run into the lakes 

 named. Before this was done the artificial hatching opera- 

 tions, so far as could be seen, did no good ; but as soon as 

 the alteration was made, and the young fish turned out at 

 once, the fisheries began to improve and are now as I have 

 stated." 



Loweswater may be fished from Buttermere 

 (3 miles) : from Scale Hill (i mile) ; from Cocker- 

 mouth (7 miles) ; or from the farms on its 

 immediate shores. 



BASSENTHWAITE LAKE. 



Lying as it does rather out of the beaten track, 

 Bassenthwaite Lake is less visited than other of the 

 minor lakes. Surveying it from any of the 

 surrounding heights, it looks as though at one time 

 it might have been connected with Derwentwater. 

 The two lakes are connected by an alluvial plain, 

 through which, for a distance of three miles, runs 

 the river Derwent. The Derwent has its origin in 

 Watendlath and Sprinkling Tarns, runs through 

 Derwentwater, connects the latter with Bassen- 

 thwaite, and forms the effluent of that lake. 



Bassenthwaite is 3f miles in length, and varies 

 in breadth from ] to f of a mile, the broadest part 

 of the lake being at the bay below Bassenthwaite 

 Lake station. Curiously enough, Bassenthwaite is 

 exactly the same size as Derwentwater (a little over 

 2 square miles). The drainage area (91^ square 

 miles) is forty-four times the area of the lake, and 

 is greater than that of any other lake. 



