68 ANIMAL LIFE UNDER WATER 



This reservoir provided the water supply for a 

 town forty miles away, and had been built about 

 six years. No sooner was the work of holding 

 up a huge volume of water completed than fifty 

 thousand trout fry were turned in. There was 

 practically no natural food in the newly-built 

 reservoir, so that as soon as the stronger of the 

 fry grew slightly larger than their brethren they 

 became cannibals, with the result that when the 

 otter arrived, instead of finding a well-stocked 

 sheet of water, this lake held but a few hundred 

 fish of two to three pounds in weight. These 

 large fish never rose to a fly, and during the day 

 rested in the deep waters in the centre. 



In the morning, and occasionally on a warm 

 summer evening, they swam round the shores 

 and fed on the minnows which now. were plenti- 

 ful among the vegetation which had grown up 

 at the shallow end of the reservoir. As the trout 

 swam round the minnows made for the shore, 

 and the large fish splashed and almost threw 

 themselves on the bank as they chased the shoals. 



The otter arrived at the reservoir at dawn, 

 and though he fished hard he caught nothing, for 

 the water was sixty feet deep in the centre, and 

 when he chased a trout the fish made for the 



