THE GAME FISH OF AUGUST. 
By tHE Rr. Hon. Sir HprRBERT MAxwenn, Bart., P.C., F.R.S. 
HE salmon-fisher bans August as the worst angling month in the year. Fish there 
are in plenty, no doubt, both salmon and grilse, rolling about in the pools, making 
mock rises in the most fascinating manner and luring the angler with perpetual promise 
of a tight line, which is seldom fulfilled. For some obscure reason, August 1s never a 
good taking month, save, peradventure, in some West Highland torrent, flushed with the 
brief Lammas spates, when he who happens to be on the spot may find his reward. 
The cream of river and lake trout fishing, also, is past before August. None but 
fingerlings seem to be on the move. In southern streams the annual mayfly orgies mark 
the height of the season, and even where the mayfly does not come, as in the Itchen 
above Chilland, and in most northern waters, the great trout lose their activity and, 
instead of vigilantly scrutinismg every semblance of life that appears on the surface, can 
only be tempted to make an occasional indolent rise or suspicious “ boil.” 
But if salmon and yellow trout go into temporary retirement at this season, this 
is the month of all the year for sea-trout. Instead of sea-trout, I believe I ought to say 
salmon-trout, because, although on the West coast of Scotland we all recognise that 
estimable fish under the designation of sea-trout, the term bears a different significance 
in the Tweed district and the East coast generally. There it means what people in 
most other places call the bull-trout, a splendid fish m appearance, but a most 
disappointing one to the fly-fisher. More’s the pity, for the bull-trout is a powerful creature 
and affords fine sport on those comparatively rare occasions when he does take the fly, and 
runs to a far greater average in weight than his more desirable cousin, the salmon-trout. 
I hooked one of these fish last April when fishing for spring salmon. He played 
deep and so resolutely that I am convinced that had I fost him he would have taken 
a place in local history as the great salmon of the season, aye, and of many seasons. 
Luckily for the veracity of history I landed the fish, which turned out to be a 
slean-run bull-trout weighing just 133 Ib. 
Mr. Malloch, of Perth, lately sent ‘me a photograph of a bull-trout weighing 
40 lb., taken from the Tay in a net. In this country the salmon-trout seldom reaches 
the weight of 10 lb.; one of 6 lb. is an exceptional but not unusual prize for the fly- 
fisher, and even a fish of that size will try his tackle and skill to the utmost; for of 
ae 
Photograph by Mr. P. D. Malloch, Perth. 
SALMON-TROUT (Salmo trutta). 
Weight 18lb., caught by the net in the Tay, April, 1502. 
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