492 
THE PISHING GAZETTE 
[June 24, 1893 
LAKE VYRNVVY. 
Sir, —The above—the most natural of artificial 
lakes—is fast becoming a centre of attraction to 
trout fishers. The beauty of the situation, the 
excellence of the hotel, and the warm welcome 
accorded to visitors by Miss Davies, the efficient 
manageress, will always ensure a large influx of 
anglers in the season. When, however, gentle¬ 
men travel 200 or 300 miles by rail (many come 
from London and beyond), and post over some 
fifteen miles in addition, they naturally expect 
to get some fishing for their trouble and outlay. 
At this time of year, indeed, always in June, this 
reasonable expectation, so far as Jly-fishivg is 
concerned is not realised, nor can it lie, however 
well a man fishes. The trout will not rise to a 
fly during June and July, and the fish recorded 
in your paper and in the Field are, almost with¬ 
out exception, caught with the minnow. Now, I 
don’t like spinning so much as fly-fishing, and 
trolling not at all, but when I paid £5 or £6 in 
travelling, and a reasonable sum for my day’s 
sport, I expect to get what I paid for, and finding 
that the trout ignore the fly altogether, I am 
sorely tempted to ignore the rule which limits 
the use of the minnow to a particular portion of 
the lake. Mind, I don’t say that I do ignore it, 
but temptation ought not to be put in any man’s 
path. 
Up to the middle or end of May trout rise 
freely, and the limit of twenty fish is easily 
reached by a competent fisherman. After that, 
as I have said, trout practically refuse the fly 
altogether. Why not alter the rule—restrict its 
operation to the end ot May ? Thfn, as to the 
“ limit of twenty fish,” no such limit, indeed no 
limit whatever, is necessary. Refer to the record 
of fish taken, and see how many fishermen have 
achieved their “limit.’’ To this add an assumed 
fair percentage for the excess they might have 
caught, and what will it amount to ? Perhaps 
one hundred fish in the season—a liberal estimate 
•—and for this a man’s sport is sometimes spoiled 
for the afternoon. In fact, a “ limit ’’ is an 
absurdity. No water was ever depleted by fair 
rod-fishing, whether with fly or minnow. In 
Vyrnwy I regret to say that the fish, though 
they have increased in number, have decreased 
in size since last year, and such must be the case 
where the supply of food is insufficient for the 
population. \ ou cannot feed one hundred sheep 
on a pasture calculated for ten, nor one thousand 
fish in water providing food for one hundred. I 
could offer a hint or two on the subject of 
increasing the supply of food in this lake, but 
have trespassed too largely on your space already. 
—I am, &c., _ A Fisherjian. 
FISHING IN COUNTY ANTRIM. 
De.ir Mr. Marston, —Having just returned 
from my annual trip to the River Bann, I thought 
it might interest such of your read-rs as are 
prevented by “ lack of water,’’ to know that 
at Toome Bridge the fishing has opened first- 
rate. 
The River Bann being at that point the outlet 
for Loch Neagh—the largest lake in the three 
kingdoms—it is little affected by the drought. 
The trout are showing in larger numbers than 
for years past, and are taking the fly well. Mr. 
Newman, of Liverpool, killed one of .5|lb., which 
is being set up by Cooper; Mr. Fletcher also 
killed one of 31b., and I did likewise. The 
trout we killed averaged 11b. apiece. Anglers 
in search of a good spot in this abnormal 
season will find it difficult to find a better than 
Toome. 
The hotel is now entirely re-furnished, and is 
the cleanest and most comfortable hotel I have 
ever found in Ireland. 
I hope you have had a good week with the 
May-fly.—I am, Ac., T. B. Johnston. 
7, Lord-street, Liverpool, June fci, 1893. 
[Mr. T. B. Johnston is a first-rate angler, so 
his tip is all the more valuable.— Ed.] 
SEA FISHING IN IRELAND. 
Sir,—I should be greatly obliged if any of your 
readers would inform me what sea-fishing there 
is to be had at the mouth of the Shannon—say, 
between Foynes and Kilrush ? At the sarne 
time, it would be useful to know what facilities 
there are for obtaining bait in this district.— 
I am, Ac., D. 
READING THE GAZETTE. 
Sir, —Remarks well worth making a note of 
often crop up in the most unexpected places in 
the Gazette in articles the ordinary angler might 
not think it worth his while to read. For instance, 
in reading that most interesting article on pollack 
fishing, I was struck with a method mentioned 
that I think the ordinary angler might practice 
to his benefit. Tempo says - “The float should 
be rather large, a porcupine quill well covered 
with cork, painted green underneath and white 
above.’’ Just so. How many jack anglers have 
I seen within the past year using great floats 
painted blue, red, brown, purple, yellow helow, 
and green above, and in no more than 3ft. or 4fn. 
of w'ater clear as crystal ? I prefer a darkish 
green, more especially in still water. Further 
comment is unnecessary on this subject. Y'’our 
Derbyshire correspondent says i “ Why Trent 
anglers as a class should avoid the fly it is 
not easy to see, unless they cannot throw a 
fly, or are afraid to try.’’ Nine-tenths of 
Trent anglers have never been brought up to 
throw the fly. Their grandfathers and fathers 
before them were always bottom and bait 
anglers, and the style many anglers take to 
in early life they seldom relinquish. Habit, 
sheer habit. There can be no question that a fly- 
fisherman pure and simple, however fond he may 
be of a bit of jack or bottom fishing, prefers fly¬ 
fishing ; so does your born and bred Trent angler 
prefer floating to the fly. Again, on the lower 
reaches more especially, where one swim can be 
found to suit the fly there are twenty to suit the 
float. They are often long distances from a 
station, difficult to fish without a boat, and the 
very best time, a time when a Trent angler 
revels in floating for chub, dace, and roach, fly¬ 
fishing is impracticable. I quite admit that fly¬ 
fishing could be practised on the Trent with 
success when bottom fishing is, to say the least, 
very unsatisfactory; but if it were suggested to 
a bottom angler he would probably make a similar 
remark re fly-fishing, as one did to me re Lea 
reaching. “To the d—1 with your Lea roach 
poles.’’ 
“ Ignorance, simple ignorance, sir,’’ as Dr. 
Johnson observed, on a mistake being pointed 
out in his dictionary by a friend. 
Your correspondent says r “ Salmon fishing is 
at a standstill, and the season so far has been a 
failure.’’ May I ask him must salmon to enter 
the Trent come through the Humber? If so, 
how do they survive it ? “ Angler’s Diary ’’ 
says : “ There are a few fish to three miles below 
Gainsborough ! ’’—I am, &c., Mark. 
FISHING AT LUIB IN PERTHSHIRE. 
Sir, —AYill some of your readers kindly give 
me some information about the fishing at Luib 
in Perthshire ? 
I purpose going there about the end of July or 
early part of August. 
Will the salmon be up the Dochart then ? Do 
the sea-trout get into the river P Would a 16ft. 
grilse rod be too small ? 
Any hints re flies, Ac., or other particulars 
would much oblige.—I am, Ac., “ Geph.’’ 
74, Wellington-street, Leeds, June 13. 
JACK TAKEN ON A SMALL TROUT-FLY. 
Sir, —Although it is no uncommon thing for 
jack to be taken on salmon and other very large 
flies, it is I think a rare occurrence to get one on 
a small trout fly. At least such is my experience 
extending over a dozen years on waters where 
small jack abound, and I for the first time in my 
life rose and hooked one of about 21b. in the sub¬ 
scription water at Harefield on the Colne, when 
fishing in company with the proprietor, Mr. 
James Playstead, of the Fisheries Hotel. The 
jack came a good yard for the fly. and took it in 
a most determined way, so that at first we were 
puzzled to know what we had got hold of. The 
fly used was a small Zulu.—1 am, Ac., 
Pinner. A. C. Pemberton. 
FISHING IN THE ISLE OF MAN. 
Sir,—W ill any of your readers kindly inform 
me what sort of fishing is to be had at the Isle 
of Man ?— I am, Ac., Angler, 
ROACH TAKING SPINNING BAIT. 
Sir, —Re “ Roach taking spinning bait,’’ here 
is another case in point, which came under my 
notice three seasons ago. 
A friend of mine was trailing a gudgeon 
mounted on a jack spinning flight behind a boat 
on the Upper Wensum. He took a good-sized 
roach, hooked fairly in the mouth. At the time 
I suspected foul hooking, but after most careful 
eross-questioning, was fully convinced that the 
fish deliberately ran at the bait and was hooked 
well in the mouth by the tail triangle, just as in 
the case mentioned by your correspondent. 
What made the occurrence the more extra¬ 
ordinary, was the fact that the river at that part 
is not very wide, and only three or four feet 
deep. The boat was being rowed against the 
stream. No roach in his senses would have 
thought of anything but flight. It seems pro¬ 
bable that this was just what that particular 
roach was thinking of, and why he took it. 
There are no chub in any part of the Wensum 
I believe, at any rate not in that part. It is a 
pity there are not, as they would thrive, and 
give sport with the fly. Coarse fish do wonder¬ 
fully well there, and the roach and dace rise 
freely at times, and are very game.—I am, Ac., 
Bolney Vicarage, Wm. B. Tracey. 
Hayward’s Heath, June 8, 1893. 
PROFESSIONAL FISHERMEN. 
Sir, —Most English fly-fishers must be highly 
gratified at the success which attended Mr. 
Harden and Mr. Close in the competition for 
the Loch Leven championship. Without drawing 
invidious comparisons, it is quite evident that we 
have in England as good, if not better, fly-fishers 
than any that can be found in Scotland. It has 
been suggested that a man becomes a “ profes¬ 
sional fisherman” because he takes part in an 
angling competition in which, as on Loch Leven, 
money prizes are given. I must demur to this. 
The term “professional fisherman” has a very 
different signification to the term “ professional 
rowing man,” or “ professional cricketer.” There 
is not in existence a class of people who make a 
living by fishing for money prizes as there are 
rowers, cricketers, billiard-players, Ac., who make, 
or attempt to make, a living by rowing, cricketing, 
and billiard playing for prizes or wagers. A 
“ professional fisherman ” is simply one who 
catches fish for the market, and the term is some¬ 
times also applied to gillies and other persons who 
attend on anglers. It could not, in any sense of 
the term, be applied to the competitors on Loch 
Leven.—I am, Ac., _ Novice. 
UNDRESSING LINES. 
Sir, —A correspondent lately asked in the cor¬ 
respondence column for an undressing for lines. 
Here is the correct card in a sentence. Steep 
the line in naphtha for twenty-four hours, then 
wash out the line in very hot water with a little 
soda. Nothing but the undressed silk will 
remain.—I am, Ac., G. M. Mack ay. 
Schoolhouse, Kincardine O’Neil. 
LARGE GUDGEON. 
Sir, —Will anyone who knows the district, 
kindly tell me some place where gudgeon run 
big ? I have a fancy for Lakenheath or Hilgay 
Fen, near Ely. Brandon I know well and like 
much, but am specially interested in the first- 
named places. The gudgeon are wanted with a 
view to the frying-pan. Little bait gudgeon 
won’t do.—I am, Ac. Salopian. 
FISHING NEAR SANDWICH. 
Sir, —I am desirous of finding a quiet place on 
or near the sea, where I can get some fresh-water 
fishing, and have been told that Minster (Kent), 
Rye, or Sandwich would suit me. I shall be 
greatly obliged if you or any of your readers 
can give me any information as to either of the 
places above named.—I am, Ac., Wilson. 
FISHING AT TAUNTON. 
Sir, —Will one of your readers kindly let me 
know through your columns what fishing there 
is to be had at or near Taunton, Somersetshire, 
during the month of July ?—I am, Ac., 
Reading. w. H. Stacey. 
