FISH AND FISHERIES OF EAST SUFFOLK. 



389 



The Freshwater Fishes of the East Suffolk district are neces- 

 sarily few, and should be thoroughly " worked out " with ease ; 

 the Marine species, however, from the vast scope of the con- 

 stantly moving salt tides, must always afford a chance of finding 

 and identifying new-comers and stragglers, the uncertainty of 

 whose advent, coupled with their probability, should always keep 

 the investigator on the qui vive. 



Fritton Lake, to which is attached Lound Bun, lying midway 

 between Yarmouth and Lowestoft, is a long, narrow, tree- 

 embowered sheet of water, over two miles in length, nearly half 

 a mile across at its widest part ; its waters, in the hotter 

 months, hold in suspension a vast amount of vegetable organ- 

 isms, which give them a peasoup-like appearance. Shoals of 

 large and very slimy Bream inhabit its depths, and form the 

 greater part of the anglers' catches. Boach and Perch are 

 abundant, as are Tench, and Crucian Carp, which, however, 

 rarely take the hook. Pike are plentiful, but seldom trouble the 

 angler in summer-time. This lake is exceedingly beautiful, and 

 a great resort of Wild Duck, Wigeon, Tufted Duck, and others of 

 the Anatida, great numbers of which are taken annually in the 

 decoys.* Oulton Broad, a wide, clear, yacht-crowded expanse of 

 water, contains about one hundred acres, and is joined to the 

 Waveney by a " dyke " a mile and a half long, which the un- 

 initiated fail to distinguish from the river itself. Perch -fishing 

 was at one time a noted pastime here, the fish resorting to the 

 vicinity of the lock for the sake of the Shrimps that abounded. 

 Grey Mullet were at one time numerous in the neighbourhood of 

 Oulton Broad and Lake Lothing at certain periods. 



Than Mr. W. S. Everitt, a noted yachtsman and sportsman, 

 whose estate borders on Oulton Broad, no one knows this beautiful 

 lagoon better, he having lived in its vicinity for several decades. 

 In the course of a chat with him on Aug. 17th last he greatly 

 added to my interest in this favourite Broad. He could not tell 

 me offhand as to its degrees of salinity, which is heavier than 

 that of the Norfolk Broads, for a certain quantity of salt water 

 constantly escapes into it through the lock which divides it from 

 Lake Lothing. He assured me there were still a few small Budd 

 therein, and that the Perch are much smaller than of yore ; that 



* Cf. ' Nature in Eastern Norfolk,' pp. 51-57. 



