June 24, 1893] 
THE FISHING GAZETTE 
483 
albeit rather fine occasionally, ig fine enough and 
indeed considered good for fishing purposes, 
especially in the shallow waters. Little appear¬ 
ance of rain yet, but I am sure a dozen or 
eighteen hours of it would do much to bring fish 
of all sorts better forward, since now is the com¬ 
mencement of the principal time for them. The 
grilse fishing is not improving very fast, yet, as 
compared with last year, it is doing very well for 
the time. Although last year the grilse were a 
fortnight or more earlier, it was not till the 16th 
or 18th of June that they got to be numerous, 
hence there is hope that they may yet do well 
enough this year. Presently, although few in 
number, they are very beautiful fishes and 
of splendid quality. Good lots of them are now 
between 41b. and 51b., but there are still some of as 
light weight as l|lb. and 21b. Given only right 
conditions, the height of the grilse and sea-trout 
fishing should be during the next four weeks. 
The sea-trout are meantime better forward than 
the grilse, and at night they come into the Eiver 
Dee seeking to get up under cover of the dark¬ 
ness. They are very superior in quality; they 
average over 21b. in weight, while some are got 
of weights running between 71b. and 111b. 
Nought at all is doing on the River Don, it being 
so low and so warm that it is next to impossible 
I think for the fish to live in it.” 
I UNDEfiSTAND that the celebrated taxidermist 
so famed for the setting up of stags’ heads, fishes, 
■&C., has now removed from Perth to become a 
partner in MacLeay’s in Inverness, where, I 
believe, he will very worthily perpetuate the 
perfection of taxidermy so long given to his 
numerous sporting patrons by the late Mr. 
MacLeay, who died a year or so ago. 
Everywhere, at last, the smolt migration has 
come to an end, and it is now quite a rarity to see 
a single smolt in even the lower lengths of the 
longest of our long-seasoned rivers. Often in 
years when the water was three times the volume 
have I seen smolts going down to the sea in great 
numbers after the middle of June. 
Like almost all other Scotch rivers the Esks, 
North and South, are now positively away to 
nothing; but there are still in them land-locked 
kelts lying listlessly, or rolling and splashing 
about, according to their humour, in the deep 
great holes where the red sandstone shelves all 
through, in, to the angler, most dangerous ramifi¬ 
cations. 
Speaking of kelts, it is only the other day that 
a friend fishing with me, sixty miles from the 
sea, hooked a fish, w'hich from being so bright 
and giving such grand play, he took for one quite 
fresh-run, but on landing it he found to his 
chagrin that it was simply a highly-mended kelt. 
Never did a brighter fish come out of the sea. 
and it must have been feeding well, for it was as 
plump as any of the red spring-run fellows that 
we were getting at the time. It was gaffed so 
badly that there was no chance of its living, so 
to put it out of the way and out of pain we cut 
it up to bury it, when we found there were eggs 
in it nearly as much developed as those in the 
salmon that are taken from the sea at present. 
The Lochy-Spean and the Awe, which now 
.should have the best of their season coming on, 
are still doing little or nothing in the way of 
salmon or grilse angling. Tweed and Tay are 
both away to nothing in volume; and stagnation 
in their angling has never within recollection 
been more marked. 
A Tay correspondent says: “ Nothing of any 
description doing; the rivers hereabout are 
dried up. A few trooting are got with up¬ 
stream worm, but that is all. The nets are 
getting some sea-trout and grilse about Perth, 
but there’s no sporting fishing. The ugliest 
trout I ever saw was caught by a keeper up the 
Tay the other day. It was 41b. weight, and its 
head must have weighed 31b., for it was about all 
head, and had a body like an eel’s. Feeding 
surely must be scarce in the Tay just now.” 
Loch Tummel never does extraordinary things 
in angling, but it never fails to give a beauty or 
two of whopping big trout. Everything con¬ 
sidered, it has, for its repute, fished capitally this 
season, both for trout and pike. Of the former, 
several particularly nice ones were had lately ; 
whilst of the latter there was, amongst others, 
one truly grand fish of 181b. 
A SHORT FISHING TOUR IN 
NORWAY. 
{Continued from page 461.) 
By H. D. W. 
The sail to Loen is very delightful. The 
passage is invariably smooth, and at night the 
steamer enters the Nord Fjord, having touched 
several small trading ports, discharging and 
receiving cargo. The population of each port 
(generally small villages) turn out to welcome 
the arrival and departure of friends, and the 
oldest travellers are never tired of the interesting 
scenes presented. Bennett will have secured a 
sleeping berth, i.e., lying down room on a sofa in 
the saloon, but a good night’s rest cannot be 
expected, as the steamer constantly stops, and 
rest is disturbed by the consequent noise. The 
second day is passed in sailing up the Nord 
Fjord, and here the grand wild scenery of 
Norway is to be had in perfection. If 
the tour is commenced in June, the snow in 
the mountains is fast melting, and the cascades 
are all in their glory. During the day the 
steamer touches at Sandene, Faleide, Vistnaes, 
and at 5 p.m. Loen, a small village at the extreme 
end of the fjord is reached. This is the first 
fishing station I have on my programme. I have 
paid three visits to Loen and always leave it with 
regret. It is not much frequented, as it is off 
the line of the general tourists’ route, and 
travellers usually spend one day only at Loen, to 
pass up the lake by a small steamer which plies 
on it, visiting the great glacier at the extreme 
end (the lake is about ten miles long). Such 
visitors come from Faleide, a station about six 
miles distant, by a small steamer, running from 
Trendon’s well-known hotel, which is the only 
hotel in the place. The “ place ” consists of a 
small plot of flat ground at the foot of the 
mountains. This is a favourite halting station as 
the proprietor is very popular, and Faleide from 
its position, is a capital centre for intending 
excursions, leaving no room for a second hotel. 
Excellent accommodation is to be had at Loen at 
two hotels, the “ Alexandre ” and “ Kvammy’s 
Hotel.” I have stayed during my three visits at 
the latter, but the Alexandre is to my knowledge 
a most comfortable and well-cared-for place of 
rest. The tourist is here introduced for the first 
time to the hotels of the country. They are 
invariably built of pine wood, two stories high as 
a rule, and scrupulously clean. The proprietors 
generally occupy small houses apart from the 
hotels, where all the cooking is carried on, so 
that there is little fear of fires occurring. Messrs. 
Bennett have given the usual terms, which are 
extremely moderate, and travellers receive the 
best food that the country cooking can supply. 
Excellent bread, milk, coffee, fish, and cheese is 
provided. No fresh meat can be had, and 
potatoes are the only available vegetable. The 
tourist is generally tired of such diet at the end 
of a prolonged residence, but everything that is 
to be had is the best of its kind, and a hearty 
appetite, the result of being in the open air all 
day long, makes the food very acceptable. No 
spirits are allowed to be sold in the country, 
but good Bergen beer, equal to the best Bavarian 
ale, is to be had at all hotels. Loen is situated, 
as I have said, at the end of the fjord, and in 
front of the hotel flows a rapid but small river 
running from Loen Vand {i.e.. Lake Leon), which 
is two and a half miles distant. Salmon are 
taken occasionally in this river in the autumn, 
but the sport of the place is to be had with trout 
in the lake. The salmon make their way but a 
short distance up the river as several falls 
commence at a half mile from the mouth, and 
the water descending with great force prevents 
the fish passing up. The road to the lake runs 
through a wooded lane, and affords a delightful 
stroll. Boats are in abundance on the lake, for 
each farmer has a boat, is a good oarsman, and in 
many cases an expert fly-fisher. I would recom¬ 
mend visitors to Loen to employ Jacob Loen, a 
shoemaker, a fisherman, and a clever dresser of 
flies. I ha ve had him as a companion for three 
summers, and he has much added to the enjoy¬ 
ment of a good day by his brightness and 
endeavours to please. He has no English save 
two words “ not good,” and I have learnt to 
understand when he utters such w'ords that my 
flies are entangled. The Loen Lake fishing is at 
its best in July. The average trout are not large, 
and I have not heard of a fish above 41b. being 
killed, but they are in abundance, and in 1890 I 
beat the record of a day’s sport, killing sixty of all 
sizes up to 31b. There are some famous glaciers 
descending the mountains which lock the lake, 
notably that of Hellessietenbrse. I quote from 
Baideken’s guide-book a note of it, “ On the oppo¬ 
site side of the lake is a huge glacier, the 
Hellessa3tenbra3, terminating abruptly at the 
height of 3900 feet, from which there roll during 
the warm weather almost constant avalanches of 
ice. These fall first over a sheer precipice of 
1000 feet, and then flow onwards in a partially- 
covered stream. Anally spreading their sides out 
in a fan-shaped form and almost reaching the 
verge of the lake; at the time when there are no 
avalanches about ten waterfalls foam over the 
precipices.” The effect is very grand, as the 
avalanches fall with the noise of thunder, and at 
the spot where the stream enters the lake I 
usually halt for lunch, thoroughly enjoying the 
sight of the avalanches and the continual roar of 
the falls. Such streams constantly occur in the 
lakes, and good fish are often to be found in their 
vicinities. Bennett’s programme offers a week’s 
stay at Loen. The tourist then leaves Loen by a 
steamer sailing at 8.20 a.m., and is landed at 
Sandene, in the Gloppen bay of the fjord, about 
1 p.m. A post-card sent through Herr Kvarames 
to the Sandene station-master will ensure the 
attendance of a carriole. These conveyances 
carry about 801b. of luggage, which is sufficient 
for a tourist’s wants. They are drawn by stout 
ponies of about 13 hands, very hardy animals, and 
very fast. They are driven by a boy in charge, 
unless the tourist desires to drive, the pleasure of 
which is equal to that of driving a tram-car, as 
the roads are narrow and straight, and no driving 
skill is required. I never drive; the boys know 
the difficulty of the road before them and the 
capabilities of the ponies, and if any accident 
takes place the tourist is responsible if holding 
the reins. Red is the next halting place, and is a 
three hours’ drive from Sandene. It can be 
reached by conveyances taken from Vtvik, a 
station touched at before arriving at Sandene. I 
would not recommend this route, as the road to 
Red from Vtvik crosses a mountain 3000 feet 
high, and the ascent and descent is too abrupt to 
allow the tourist to ride, and a most trying and 
exhausting walk is the result. The road from 
Sandene to Red is almost level, and no walking is 
required. Red is situated on the edge of the 
Bredheim Vand. This lake is about fourteen 
miles long, and is fed chiefly by a river entering 
at a little distance from the village. There are no 
pools in the stream, which consequently offers no 
harbour for fish, and affords no sport. There is 
only one hotel at Red, the Gordon Hotel, kept by 
Elias Johannesen Red. I have hitherto stayed 
at a hotel which is now closed, but I have heard 
well of the of the Gordon Hotel. The fishing at 
Red is certainly equal to that at Loen, with this 
advantage, that the fish seem to grow a great 
size. I spent a fortnight there last year, and had 
good sport in company with a party of six fisher¬ 
men from Newcastle. One day one of our boats, 
carrying two rods, killed a hundred good fish. 
Here I killed the record trout of 91b. with a 
minnow. I also hooked and played a much 
larger fish; what his weight was I will not 
venture to suggest. I tired him out after an 
hour’s play, and got him close to the boat, which 
was driven to the side of the lake in deep water 
by a strong north wind. I had no gaff in the 
boat, and could not touch him with the net, as 
the boatman was busy with the sculls, keeping 
the boat from the fallen rocks edging ^e lake. 
On endeavouring to row into the middle of the 
lake, the fish evaded the danger of being beaten 
by taking refuge below a rock, and finally 
breaking the trace. A few days at Red would 
be well spent, and Skie, on the Joelster Vand, is 
the next halting-place. There is an excellent 
hotel at Skei known as “ Hotel Skei.” It is very 
large, having been recently added to, and is 
