116 THE SCOTTISH ANGLER. 



Besides the leading sluice for directing the feeder, 

 another, termed a waste wear, should be formed, espe- 

 cially in places where floods are frequent, diverging from 

 any convenient recess, in order to draw off quickly 

 the superfluous and prejudicial element. This in dry 

 weather should be kept closed by means of a gate. 



During strong frosts in winter, the fish in artificial 

 ponds are apt to suffer greatly, especially the young 

 fry. To prevent this there is no proper remedy. A 

 becoming disposition of large stones at the bottom of 

 your reservoir, will, nevertheless, serve in part the 

 purposes of shelter ; although it is very true that the 

 greater damage done by severe frosts results from the 

 exclusion of air. Wherefore, order holes to be made 

 in the ice that the fish may breathe properly, which most 

 certainly they will attempt to do, coming up in great 

 numbers to your vents, and by the agitation they make 

 sometimes preventing them from re-freezing. 



Perhaps the finest sheet of artificial water in Scot- 

 land is that at Drummond Castle, on the estate of 

 Lord Willoughby D'Eresby. It covers a large extent 

 of ground, and is stocked among other varieties with 

 Loch Leven trout. These, however, owing to the soft 

 quality of the water, and the want of a sufficient feeder, 

 multiply indifferently. They are also subject to the 

 attacks of perch, with which (in our opinion improperly) 

 they are allowed to consort. Still they preserve much 

 of their original flavour and size, being abundantly sup- 

 plied with their favourite food. And as to the cus- 

 tom of introducing perch into trout preserves, we may 

 remark, that it is greatly prejudicial, not only to the 

 spawn of the latter, but the grown fish themselves, see- 

 ing that a well-armed, thick-scaled perch will not hesi- 

 tate to attack the ill-defended trout, if provoked while 

 feeding, and either injure him with his spines, or intN 



