290 FISHES. 



Char in Helldale's water. Trout were introduced into other lochs 

 in Hoy, but Mr. Moodie-Heddle thinks they have either died 

 out, or else that, being young sea-trout, they tried to migrate, 

 and the burns falling sheer down into the sea, some 150 to 200 

 feet, of course they could not get up again. 



S. Eonaldsay, one ; Mainland, parish of Harray and Birsay, 

 five Swannay, Boardhouse, Hundland, Isbister, Harray ; Sand- 

 wick, two Voy and Eango ; Firth and Stenness, two Stenness 

 and Wasdale ; Orphir, one Kirbister ; Holm, two St. Mary's 

 Loch and Grsemeshall. 



Concerning the loch of Eango, Mr. Irvine-Fortescue says : 

 " The loch of Eango lies between the north-west bay of the loch 

 of Harray and the loch of Skaill. It is marked as a "Mill 

 loch " in A. & C. Black's " Eecluced Ordnance Map." I fished 

 it once with Watt a good many years ago. We got six fish 

 from 1 J Ibs. up to 4 Ibs. I saw no small fish in the loch. The 

 trout we got were in first-rate condition. At that time it 

 appeared impossible for a trout to get up from Harray even 

 during a spate, owing to a fall which had been made in the waste 

 water-course by quarrying. But I have no doubt the larger fish 

 in Eango had come up from Harray before the waste water- 

 course became impassable. The loch appears to be too small to 

 contain many large fish, and I do not think a 4-pounder has 

 been got in it since the time I speak of." 



"A mill in Orkney is usually a terrible fish-trap. Every 

 time the water is shut off, the trout which have come up can be 

 easily killed except during a spate. And of those that get 

 past by the waste water-course, if there chances to be a passable 

 one, some are killed in going down again over the wheel." 



The prettiest trout in Orkney come from St. Mary's Loch, 

 Holm ; the best to eat from Wasdale, Firth; and the worst from 

 Boardhouse, as before mentioned. 



These lochs all have exits to the sea, but all the burns com- 

 bined would not make a small salmon river. Wherever a per- 

 manent burn runs into the sea, there are sea-trout at the mouth in 

 spring and autumn. In these situations Mr. Cowan observes that 

 they take a fly before any other lure he has tried, while Mr. 

 Moodie-Heddle generally uses a spinning bait, or even a worm. 



