IllELAND. 169 



it. There are plenty of salmon, and ricli and splendid trout. Lough 

 Kylemore is about three miles long, and lies at the foot of some 

 precipitous and picturesque mountains. There are line salmon 

 and trout here. 



All the sheets of water in the locality of Ballinahinch afford 

 abundance of salmon and trout. The scenery is grand, and of the 

 most magnificent description. 



Lough Luggen is a most surprising place for the quantity of 

 trout which are taken from it : they may be said to live in myriads 

 of shoals. It is no uncommon thing to kill eight or ten dozen in 

 a couple of hours; in fact, the angler gets quite fatigued with 

 hauling them into his basket. The trout here are commonly 

 large, too; and it is impossible for a pedestrian angler to carry; 

 any distance the fruits of a few hours' sport. Almost all kinds of 

 flies will answer the purpose in this lough. 



The west coast of Ireland is particularly prolific of salmon and 

 trout. The great advantages which an angler in this district 

 possesses for the successful prosecution of his craft is, that every 

 two or three miles from the sea-coast he finds a series of fine 

 loughs, or streams, which are swarming with fish. On the eastern 

 coast of the island, these advantages do not present themselves to 

 the same extent. 



In the vicinity of Dingle and Bantry Bays, the trout-fishing is 

 excellent. For twenty miles inland, the lakes abound with immense 

 swarms of fish. The scenery is delightful, and chiefly of the bold 

 and rugged kind. 



Few anglers ever traverse Ireland*, but hear very strange and 

 unaccountable stories about fish and fishing from various classes 

 of people with whom they come in contact. If it should so happen 

 that an English travelling tourist should require the assistance of 

 any of the professed angling helps in this singular land of wonders 

 and miracles, he will be sure to hear some stories very like the 

 following, which we take, for its real genuine fun, from one of our 

 British periodicals : 



( ' Wouldn't it be right. Paddy ' (for, as a fisherman, there are 

 few more skilful on the lake), ' to have a blue hackle ? I'd like to 

 try one.' 



' l f Nothing for the gap but brown. There's a fellow ' (holding 

 it between him and the light) ; ' and they'll rise to it as fast as you 

 can throw out.' 



: ' ' The blue hackle I had from you the other day killed me a 

 noble salmon, very near thirty pounds ; and, what is odd, he gave 

 me no play whatever after a tumble or two he was gaffed. But 

 the strangest thing is, that Doherty, in helping to get him in with 

 the landing-net, caugnt a fine trout/ 



"It may be readily guessed that the last circumstance was 

 invented, for anything like skill or luck on Doherty's part (he was 

 a rival) displeased Paddy exceedingly ; but he took no notice of it, 



