HOW TO MAKE TROUT-FISHING 



appearance. There is a legend that pike are not indigenous 

 to these islands. 



Carp, pickerel, hops and beer 



Came into England all in one year — 



runs an old saw. Whether that be literally true or not, certain 

 it is that the monks of old set a high value upon pike as a fish 

 of rapid growth, easily transported, of immense fecundity, 

 providing a welcome and abundant diet for fast days ; where- 

 fore they took special care to plant them in natural waters and 

 artificial stews conveniently near their religious houses. There 

 is not a single lake or river in Scotland, with a ruined abbey or 

 priory on its banks or on an island therein, that does not abound 

 with pike, whereas it may safely be predicated of any lake con- 

 taining trout and no pike that no remains of a religious house 

 may be found in its neighbourhood. 



The very first thing, then, to attend to in setting about the 

 improvement of an existing trout fishery is the destruction of 

 pike — ^would that I could say their extermination, but that is 

 impracticable. Their reduction in number and size (the latter 

 a most important object) is, however, perfectly within the 

 scope of well-directed effort. Loch Leven is a conspicuous 

 case in point. There you have on St. Serf's Island the remains 

 of a monastic house ; consequently pike abound in the lake, 

 or did abound, until Mr. P. D. Malloch undertook a campaign 

 against them in his successful enterprise of regenerating that 

 famous fishery. How successful that has been, let the fol- 

 lowing figures testify : 



129 I 



