April 22 , 1893] 
THE PISHING GAZETTE 
287 
been done, a nasty sea coming away on Sabbath 
which has since made results about barren north 
of Aberdeen. A good few fish tried the rivers in 
the end of last week, but I should think that 
owing to the low state of the water about the 
whole of them fell to the nets. I have seen two 
or three more of those small fishes which parties 
in their utter ignorance have dubbed grilse, 
but not one of the real thing have I seen yet. If 
one had been got in any of the earliest districts 
in Scotland for grilse I should have heard of it. 
Sea-trout are still not at all numerous, but what 
there are of them coming in about are of very 
fine quality.” _ 
O.v the Carron, Easter Ross, whereon sport has 
not yet proved of much account all round, 
although it came with a brief big burst some 
time ago, otters have been “ depredating.” and 
one of them was trapped the other day by George 
Macdonald, gamekeeper, Glencalvie. It was a 
good specimen, measuring about 5ft. from snout 
to point of tail. ____ 
A COERESPONDEKT writes inquiring if Mr. Archi¬ 
bald Harper’s heavy weight otter was not water¬ 
logged. He says he understands that the otter was 
in the water drowned when he was found, and 
that, as it is the case that an otter soon will_ in¬ 
crease to one-third more weight by waterlogging, 
he will feel obliged if Mr. Harper will says if be 
does not think that quite 101b. could have been 
added to the weight of the beast by this means. 
In Scotland all over, March and the first half of 
April this year have been a tract of fine weather 
such as no one remembers to have been equalled 
during the same period and without interruption. 
Very singular it is, therefore, that for the same 
space of time the salmon angling on nearly all 
Scotch rivers, and the salmon netting everywhere 
around the Scottish coast, should have proved 
worse than ever previously known—at least for 
generations back. _ 
Reports come from the Tweed that matters are 
in a miserable state, simply nothing being done 
either by nets or rods. 
Disease, meantime, is rather bad in a number 
of Scotch salmon rivers, including Tweed, Dee, 
Deveron, and Spey._ 
QriTE a lot of finnock have been got on the 
Ythan of late, but tbe common remark of those 
catching them is that they are very soft. 
Mr. Wii. Garden, fishing tackle maker, Aber¬ 
deen, who is a wonderfully expert practical 
angler, was out on Saturday last on the Iving- 
causie waters of the Dee, and in little over an 
hour basketed twenty-four sea-trout. There, as 
on tbe contiguous section, the Culter water, 
fished by guests at the Imperial Hotel, Aberdeen, 
the fish were in perfect shoals, and for an hour 
and a half they rose like mad. Instantly, how¬ 
ever, they dropped off and not one would mudge. 
I consider it most extraordinary that such 
magnificent sea-trout and finnock water as is 
rented by the Imperial Hotel should not have 
been more largely taken advantage of during 
this—the best—month. Only one rod fished it on 
Saturday. _ 
For about a fortnight past, despite the tremen¬ 
dously low state of the water, finnocks have 
been a wonderful show on the Dee from the tide¬ 
way to seven or eight miles inland. 
The top score of salmon for the week, so far at 
least as I have heard, was got on the Dee at Glen 
Tana, by young Barry of Keiss Oastle—ten fish 
in one day; about all, I understand, with the 
Jeannie fly. _ 
On the Blairgowrie loch and Loch Tummel 
some whopping trout were got lately. 
Latterly angling at Loch Boisdale has been 
proving not amiss. In condition the trout are 
very well forward for the season. 
It is somewhat remarkable that when conditions 
are what we consider utterly unfavourable, we 
sometimes bave the best sport. This year’s best 
day on Loch Leven—had last week—was got 
under conditions which would not have been 
judged at all propitious. Yet there were 
a number of capital baskets, tbe average being 
about 1.51b., made up, generally, of a like 
number of trout. _ 
Angling on the Tay is all to ‘‘ pigs and 
whistles ” this week; and for salmon it is feared 
it will now remain pretty muc’n in this condition 
until the autumn comes round. The bang’d nets 
play the deuce with the Tay. 
According to the Scotsman, a pair of ospreys 
have once more returned to nest in one of the 
turrets of the ruined castle of Loch-an-Eilan, 
Rothiemurchus, Strathspey. Every year since 
about the beginning of the century the ospreys 
have occupied this favourite haunt, returning 
every season with unfailing regularity between 
the iOth and the 16th of April. One of the birds 
made a Ashing expedition to Loch Insh on Sunday, 
and, notwithstanding the stormy state of the 
weather, soon succeeded in pouncing upon a good- 
sized pike, with which it immediately winged its 
way to its eyrie. __ 
Angling for the free-rising large-sized early 
yellow trout of Don and Deveron has progressed 
and marked considerable improvement during 
this past week. A good rise of trout has also 
been up on the Ythan. The Don and Deveron 
trout, considering the season is so young, are 
very forward in condition, and with the extremely 
low water have got into the hard run streams. 
There it is that they are taking ; in other sorts of 
water they are hardly to be seen or lured. The 
casts and flies are extremely fine ; almost nothing 
but midge size will bringup the trout readilyeven 
in very rough water. Few baskets of over a 
dozen pounds have been got on the Don that I 
have heard of, but I learn from a friend on the 
Deveron that several capital takes have been got 
there lately among them, one rod for two succes¬ 
sive days having close on 401b. 
Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday, after the rain, 
were cold, with snow to a considerable depth 
lying on the higher hills, but Wednesday brought 
a most genial change, when, caused by the drops 
of fresh rain fallen previously, the rivers rose a 
few inches, and a regular shoaling of the kelts 
going over the fords, in a hurry to get to the sea, 
was witnessed. It can be understood to what a 
state of ebb the rivers had attained, when it is 
stated that last week salmon were taking finnock 
flies in preference to, and almost ignoring, larger 
ones ; finnock and sea-trout were taking best with 
medium yellow trout flies, and yellow trout were 
taking the midge patterns with more zest than 
any other. 
WINDERMERE AND THE LAKE 
DISTRICT. 
{Continued from "page 276.) 
By Gilnockie. 
EstIIWaIte Water, a pretty little lake about 
three miles from the ferry opposite Bowness and 
close on five miles from Coniston, also claims 
attention. It is about two miles long and affords 
capital perch fishing. When it receives the same 
attention which has been extended to Windermere 
and Coniston, what a glorious spot it will become; 
and how comeatable both the larger lakes are 
from Esthwaite, scarcely a cockstride, as they 
say in the Hortb. Hawkshead, a quaint little 
market town, is situated at the head^ of^ the 
lake, where good and cheap accommodation is to 
be had both in private lodgings and at the inns. 
The Red Lion may be singled out as one of tbe 
cosiest inns in the town, where the charges are 
very moderate. A couple of hours row round 
this charming lake on a fine day is one of the 
greatest enjoyments possible. The boatman at 
Hawkshead' some years ago was one of the 
curiosities of the district, a tall, thin, grizzly old 
fellow, Watty Tyson by name. He had been the 
fisherman of Esthwaite over fifty years. He 
lived and died in a ramshackle-looking old man¬ 
sion, the entrance to which was an old stable 
littered with all sorts of odds and ends of fishing 
gear, rods of his own manufac'ure, eel spears. 
broken landing nets, &c. Beyond was the kitchen 
where he jiassed his indoor life, mending or 
making tackle, cooking his eels or perch when 
he could not sell them, and retiring to sleep in 
another, if possible, gloomier den. Watty was 
eighty-two when he died, and in days gone by had 
been huntsman to Mr. William Taylor, of Hawks¬ 
head. When Watty made any field blunder 
his master, who was a stern hunter of the old 
school, was wont to administer the thong to 
him, upon which occasion the old man used^ to 
cry out, “Oh, God bless you, master; oh, God 
bless you.” Those who have visited the lakes 
some ten yea.rs ago may have met Watty in their 
fishing excursions. He was an honest fellow 
and very popular with the anglers who annually 
come to Esthwaite. Tyson reminds me of Billy 
Balmer, the boatman to the “ Admiral of the 
Lakes,” as the Right Honourable George Canning 
dubbed Professor Wilson during the famous 
regatta held on Lake Windermere in the summer 
of 182.5. Billy Balmer was a little man, weather 
beaten in complexion, and much marked with 
smallpox. He walked in a doglike fashion, but 
was a sure-footed ’un ; a capital storyteller in his 
broad Westmoreland dialect, he invariably made 
his master the hero of the tale on hand. Billy 
was always dressed in sailor-fashion, and took a 
prominent part in manning the fleet which the 
“ Admiral” at one time kept on the lake. It is 
pleasant to record that Billy died at last in his 
master’s house in Edinburgh, surrounded by kind 
friends, among whom was the grand old Professor 
himself, a striking contrast to the last moments 
of poor Watty Tyson, who had nothing but a 
colony of rats to keep him company during his 
last sad years. Billy Balmer was a great man 
on the day of the regatta, one of the most 
splendid sights that ever enlivened Windermere. 
Fifty barges made up the procession, and the 
three Bards of the Lakes led the cheers that 
hailed Scott and Canning. “It was a scene 
worthy a royal progress, and resembled some of 
those rare pagents prepared for the reception of 
regal brides beneath the dazzling sunset of 
southern skies.” Sir Walter Scott and Lockhart 
remained three days at Elleray, but although Mr. 
Canning intended visiting Abbotsford the 
arrangement fell through, much to ScoA s dis¬ 
appointment. This, however, is a digression. 
Leaving Hawkshead, let us to beautiful Coniston, 
which in former times was much poached, and 
polluted with copper mines. Coniston Lake is 
directly opposite Bowness in a straight line by 
Esthwaite Water, and, as has been intimated 
previously, is eight miles as the crow flies 
from Windermere. It is a beautiful lake, and 
lies in the midst of the most charming 
scenery imaginable. Boats are plentiful, and the 
accommodation is good. As I mentioned before, 
this lake will be fishable before any of the others. 
From Coniston to Seathwaite Tarn is a tough 
journey, but the tarn is well worth visiting. 
Gateswater is passed on the way from Coniston. 
This is a peculiar little lake, and has apparently 
no outlet; the water makes its way by percolating 
through the rocks, and reappearing some distance 
below. Grasmere Lake and Rydal Water, which 
are close together, could now be visited. These 
lakes are connected by a small stream, and 
contain pike, perch, and some trout. The brook 
between Grasmere and Rydal holds some trout, 
and plenty of trout may be had in the stream 
which feeds Grasmere Lake. Two and a half 
miles from Grasmere to the north-west, among 
the hills, lies Easdale Tarn, where there are 
good perch and trout, which rise well in a 
south-east wind. The same may be said 
of Codale Tarn, which is close at hand, and 
should be visited. Loughrigg Tarn also contains 
good porch; then a short walk, and Skelwith 
Bridge is reached, and the River Brathay, which 
contains trout and char. In this neighbourhood 
several mountain tarns exist, which almost all 
hold trout, and in addition many of the mountain 
streams afford sport, the trout in. them, though 
small, are numerous, and easily taken. Burnrnoor 
Tarn, some distance across the mountains, is a 
capital spot, and beyond that is Wastwater, the 
wildest of all the English lakes. The scenery 
over Styhead Bass, and up Langdale, is of a 
rugged description, and amply repays the journey. 
A big jump might then be taken to Keswick. 
Derwentwater lies close to the charrning little 
town, and is well stocked with trout, pike, perch. 
