THE COMMON TROUT 265 



Dr. Giinther's classification, and suggested that his Salmo 

 gallivensis, the Galway sea-trout, Salmo estuarius of some other 

 writers, and Salmo orcadensis^ the Orkney trout, are only 

 common brown trout manifesting saline propensities, and 

 acquiring robust proportions and features in consequence of rich 

 estuarine diet. They are known in some of the Irish estuaries 

 as slob-trout. A magnificent specimen of this variety was taken 

 in Loch Stenness, Orkney, weighing 30 lb. A cast of this 

 fish was taken by Mr. Malloch, of Perth, and may now be seen 

 in the Fly-Fishers' Club, of London. The following account 

 of its capture was written in 1902 by William McLeod, Bridge 

 of Waithe, Stenness, and published in the Fishing Gazette : — 



*' I caught it on March 15th, 1889. I was, during that 

 month, fishing long lines in Stenness for flounders and cod, 

 and I used long-worm or sand-worm for bait. 



** I had the previous evening set a long line at the edge of 

 the shallow water, just where the deep water begins along the 

 shallow at the point of Onstone. I went out about nine o'clock 

 in the forenoon to lift my line. I had taken in a good piece 

 when I felt something very heavy, and after a piece of the line 

 had been hauled, the fish made his appearance and jumped. I 

 did not know for the moment what it was, but I knew I could 

 not get it into the boat without a gaff, and I had none with 

 me at the time. I had no chance but to cut the line and put 

 a piece of wood or something that happened to be in the old 

 boat to keep it afloat, and threw the lot overboard. I then 

 rowed down to the Bridge of Waithe, about a quarter of a 

 mile or so, for a gafl^, and then rowed up again to where I 

 threw over my floating afi^air. After looking about a bit, 

 I saw it and got hold of it. The trout was still on, but had 

 played itself pretty well out. I got it alongside and gaffed it 

 into the boat. The boat was small and low in the water, and 

 I thought it would jump overboard again. 



" I took it to Stromness, and sold it to Mr. McKay, hotel- 

 keeper, who has set it up in the Stromness Hotel. It weighed 



