206 ENGLISH LAKE DISTRICT FISHERIES 



The harder a lake is netted, the greater is the 

 average size of its fish and this seems to apply to 

 all the species. For the reason stated, Windermeie 

 has the largest trout and char, Haweswater the 

 smallest. 



The Windermere char which have come under 

 my notice this season (I898) 1 averaged slightly 

 upwards of i Ib. each ; and the 104 fish referred to 

 in Harrison Chapman's letter (printed in another 

 part of this chapter) averaged f Ib. each. In- 

 dividual char of I \ Ibs., 2 Ibs., and 2\ Ibs. have 

 been taken in Windermere. These fish have all 

 been taken in the nets. The largest char taken by 

 angling weighed I Ib. 6 ozs. On the question of 

 size Mr. W. Harrison, of Skel with Bridge, estimates 

 Windermere char which are caught by trolling at 

 between two and three to the pound ; whilst those 

 taken in the nets are larger, three fish weighing 

 about 2 Ibs. After nine inches, a well-conditioned 

 char weighs about I oz. for every inch of its 

 length. 



Owing to its affecting deep water, less is ac- 

 curately known as to the food of char than 

 might be supposed. That the bulk of its food 

 is taken from the bottom is certain. But little 

 can be learnt from opening newly caught char ; 

 for digestion being rapid, the traces of food are 

 slight. This in itself, however, is evidence of a 

 negative kind. It proves that much of its food 

 consists of various of the lower forms of life found 

 in deep water. Several species of the Mollusca and 



1 The fish taken early in the season are not included in 

 this. Although large, they were soft and poor even early in 

 June a quite unusual circumstance. The preceding winter 

 was a remarkably open one. 



