78 ANGLING SKETCHES 



ing" ground. On a summer evening the trout are 

 occasional!}- caught ; three weighing se\-en pounds 

 were taken one night, a }'car or two ago. I ha\"e 

 not tried the evening fishing, but at ah other 

 times of da\- ha\-e found them the ' dourest ' of 

 trout, and the}- grow dourer. But one is ahva^'s 

 lured on b)- the spectacle of the monsters which 

 throw themselves out of water, with a splash that 

 echoes through all the circuit of the low green 

 hills. The\- probabl}- reach at least four or fi\'e 

 pounds, but it is unlikeh- that the biggest take 

 the fl\-, and one ma)- doubt A\diether the}- propa- 

 gate their species, as small trout are never seen 

 there. 



There are two wa}'S of enlarging the size of 

 trout which should be carefull}- a\-oided. Fike 

 are supposed to keep down the population and 

 lea\-e more food for the survivors, minnows are 

 supposed to be nourishing food. Both of these 

 no\-elties are dangerous. Pike have been intro- 

 duced in that long loveh' sheet of water, Loch 

 Ken, and I have ne\-er once seen the rise of a 

 trout break that surface, so ' hideousl}- serene.' 



