54 THE TROUT 



' On a favourable day twenty fish for a boat of 

 three rods would be considered satisfactory, the trout 

 ranging in size from i Ib. to 5 Ibs. each. 



' I give three special days in my own experi- 

 ence. On Lake Owel some few years ago my wife 

 and myself had 27 trout weighing 55 Ibs. ; and on 

 another occasion I had 8 trout to my own rod 

 weighing 39 ^ Ibs., and on Lake Ennel or Belvedere 

 my wife and I had 14 trout weighing 30 Ibs. The 

 largest I have ever killed was one 12 Ibs. in weight, 

 " dapping " on Lake Owel, but I have seen them 

 taken at 14 and 16 Ibs. I have frequently caught 

 them 4, 5, 6, and 7 Ibs. each. 



' The largest trout ever caught was by rod and 

 line and spoon bait in Lake Ennel near the shore 

 of Belvedere demesne, by Mr. Willie Meares of 

 Mullingar, on July 15, 1894. It weighed 26 Ibs. 2 oz. 

 I had the fish set up. It is lent by me to the Con- 

 gested Districts Board of Ireland, and is now (June 

 1897) on exhibition in London. The trout of the 

 Westmeath lakes are of excellent flavour, and during 

 the open season are in the pink of condition.' 



This description of Irish lake fishing embraces 

 all the methods employed in that part of the United 

 Kingdom for the capture of trout. It will be noticed 

 that every species of bait is mentioned, artificial 



