of the Fishery Boa rd Jut Scotland. 



i i 



inspect the apparatus. I was told that a great many pike had been 

 captured in this comparatively rude and primitive manner, and that, 

 consequently, the number of these snares was to be largely increased. 



THE LAND-LOCKED SALMON. 



With reference to the suggestion made above that Loch Docharcl 

 would be a good place for an experiment with the land-locked salmon, 

 it may be thought that it is somewhat too small a loch for such an 

 experiment. But then it should be remembered that these fish, in the 

 United States, appear to thrive as well, other things being considered, 

 and to attain as large a size in lakes of a few hundred acres 'in area as 

 in those covering thousands of acres. For example, the largest fish in 

 Grand Lake region are found in West Musquash Lake, the area of 

 which is less than 1000 acres ; and among new localities may be men- 

 tioned Shrewsbury Lake, in Vermont, only one mile long and half a 

 mile wide, where signal success has attended - the introduction of this 

 fish. Depth of water appears to be of more importance than extent 

 of area ; and, as a rule, the largest salmon are found in deep lakes. 

 Thus, among the native haunts of the land-locked salmon, Lake Sebago, 

 where 410 feet of water have been found, contains the largest fish in 

 the State of Maine ; while West Musquash Lake, which produces the 

 heaviest salmon of that region, is known to be, in some places, over 130 

 feet deep. Grand Lake is 115 feet in depth, and Shrewsbury Lake, 

 in Vermont, 160 feet. A competent American observer states that he 

 does not think that the land-locked salmon would thrive where they 

 were compelled to endure through the summer a surface temperature of 

 70 degs. Fahrenheit, or upwards. Assuredly, there need be no fear of 

 that in any of our Scottish lakes. But, apart from the temperature, 

 these fish are not fastidious. Muddy water is certainly objectionable ; 

 but among their native haunts there are many lakes the waters of which 

 are strongly coloured with peaty and earthy solutions. The land-locked 

 salmon spawn on gravelly rapids in rivers and brooks. Colonel 

 Macdonald, the inventor and patentee of the ' Macdonald Fish way,' told 

 me when he was in Scotland a few years ago, tha^he felt certain that the 

 land-locked salmon would thrive in many of our Scotch lakes, and that 

 impregnated eggs could be had from the United States Fish Commission. 

 A recent Eeport of that Commission states that there have been distri- 

 buted, during the year to which it refers, no fewer than a million and a 

 half of the eggs of the land-locked salmon for the purpose of stocking the 

 rivers, lakes, and ponds of America.* 



During my inspection of the rivers and lochs of the Black Mount, I saw 

 some hauls of the net made for pike in Loch Tulla, not far from where 

 the river Orchy issues from it, and in some of the upper pools of the 

 Orchy. No pike or salmon were captured, the extreme lowness of the 

 river having prevented the latter from ascending. But one or two beauti- 

 ful specimens of Loch Tulla trout, up to 2 J ibs., were taken. These were, 



* As I found that the Marquis of Breadalbane was both willing and anxious to 

 ascertain whether the land-locked salmon could be acclimatised in our Scotch lochs, 

 and as, from the extent of his property and the number and variety of lochs on it, 

 he possesses exceptional facilities for making the experiment, I applied to Colonel 

 Marshall Macdonald, of the United States Fishery Commission, to ascertain whether 

 he would send over from America a supply of impregnated ova. He complied with 

 my request in the handsomest and most liberal manner, and sent a consignment of 

 no fewer than 25,000 ova, which arrived in this country with very trifling loss, and 

 were deposited in hatching-trays at Taymouth Castle in February last. 



