318 THE ANGLER-NATUKALIST. 



colour, shape, &c., are readily intelligible, the circumstance 

 of two or more distinct qualities of Trout existing in the 

 same locality in a river or lake, and apparently under pre- 

 cisely similar conditions, is less easily explained. Amongst 

 the instances of this which I have met with, one of the 

 most remarkable occurs in the River Laggan, near Moy, 

 Inverness. 



For about a mile after quitting the lake of the same 

 name, and until it approaches Moy, the Laggan is a deep 

 sluggish river, winding its way through a channel of clayey 

 gravel, but on arriving at this point it widens out for 

 some 600 or 700 yards into a swift, broad stream, resuming 

 its lagoon-like appearance below the village. The ordi- 

 iiary fish of both these reaches bear very much the general 

 aspect of the Trout of other Scotch waters, seldom averag- 

 ing more than } Ib. in weight, and in colour and taste when 

 cooked rather pale and insipid than otherwise. 



During several successive seasons I had been in the 

 habit of fishing the Laggan for a week or so at a time, 

 filling my creel with these Trout, and never observing any 

 varieties amongst them sufficiently remarkable to call for 

 notice : when last there, however, in 1862, I had occasion 

 to catch some spinning-baits, and for that purpose repaired 

 late in the evening to the swift part of the stream with a 

 cast of very small flies, the ordinary Laggan flies being 

 large yellow or green lake- flies. No fry appeared to be 

 on the feed ; but after a few casts I hooked, and ultimately 

 landed, a Trout of somewhat more than 2 Ibs. weight, and 



