ficence, but imagination cannot form a more delightful scene of romantic beauty than the peninsula of Mucruss affords; add to this, the growth of the Arbutus, and the uncommon Echoes, and it will appear upon the whole superior to all comparison. The prevailing character of Killarney is Variety, the second, Beauty; Magnificence is subordinate. Here Beauty, by her magic and diffusive influence gives a grace to Variety; whilst Variety furnishes her benefactress with flattering contrasts: united, they present the fancy with the most pleasing images of repose, unstudied order, and an uncommon display of natural grandeur and rural wildness. The Lake, or rather Lakes, (for there are three branches connected by a winding river,) cover about six thousand Irish acres ; occasionally Lord Kenmare gives a Stag hunt on the water; the Deer is started on Glenaà mountain, and bounds from rock to rock to gain the summit of the hill, but being hunted down to the wood near the water, and finding himself closely pressed by both men and dogs, he collects at one effort his remaining strength, gives a desperate bound, and plunges into the Lake, the company following in boats, until fatigued and overpowered, the animal is seized, his antlers decked with arbutus boughs, and he is borne in triumph to the shore. In these Lakes there is good Angling, and they possess a variety of excellent fish, particularly great abundance of Salmon, Carp, Tench, Trout, Eels, &c. The surrounding mountains and woods abound with Red-deer and game, particularly Grouse; and formerly that scarce bird, the Cock of the Wood, was met with Eagles constantly breed here; there are always Widgeon, Teal, and Wild Duck, and in the scason plenty of Woodcocks. The river BOYLE rises in a fine sheet of water, called Lough Gara, thence meandering through woods and dales it enters Lough Kay, interspersed with several Islands, some covered with lofty timber, and others with everlasting verdure; the Boyle again emerges out of the east side of the Lake, and runs on to join the Shannon. There are many more extensive and beautiful Loughs, all abounding with fish. Lough Conn is noted for the quantity of its Gillaroo Trout. In Lough ESK the Char is found in great abundance, (a circumstance of which Mr. PENNANT was not apprised ;) it is described to be there about nine inches long, and in some degree resembling a Trout; the male, or milting Char, has a red belly, but the flesh is generally white; the female, called the roeing Char, has a paler belly, but the flesh is of a brighter red, and the fish is commonly larger; the third sort, called the gelt Char, and frequently (though it may be corruptly,) the giltchar, is without roe. These fish are not to be caught by bait, and are taken only in Nets.. Lough SHEALLIN is of considerable magnitude, extending to Finae, where it communicates with Lough Inny. STRANGFORD Lough, in the county of Down, extending near twenty miles from Newtown in the north, to Strangford in the south, is in some places more than five miles broad, and has near fifty small Islands. It abounds with excellent fish, particularly with Smelts. INCHIQUIN Lough is very famous for its delicious fish, as well as for the delightful prospect near it. At Cong, about five miles from Ballinrobe, is a subterranean cave, to which there is a descent of sixty-three steps, called the Pigeon-hole, at the bottom runs a clear stream, in which the Trout are seen sporting in the water; these fish are never known to take a bait, but are caught with landing nets. In the Lake of Castle Bar near that town, is the Char and the Gillaroo Trout, and it is remarked that there are no Pike in this, and: some of the adjacent Lakes. Mr. YOUNG mentions that at Packenham, Lord Longford informed him respecting the quantities of fish in the Lakes in his neighbourhood, that the Perch were so numerous, that a child with a packthread and a crooked pin would catch enough in an hour, for the daily use of a whole family, and that his Lordship had seen five hundred children fishing at the same time; that besides Perch, the Lakes produced Pike five feet long, Trout of ten pounds each, whose flesh was as red as Salmon, and likewise Bream, Tench, and Eels. At Bally-Shannon there is a Salmon Leap, which lets for four hundred pounds a year; it is scarcely credible that these fish should be able to dart themselves near fourteen feet perpendicular out of the water; and allowing for the curvature, they leap at least twenty. They do not bound from the surface, and it cannot be known from what depth they take their spring. At high water the fall is hardly three feet, and then the fish swim up the acclivity without leaping. At low water, when the height is as above mentioned, there will sometimes be fifty or sixty leaps in one hour, and Salmon have been shot whilst in the air. At Athlone the Eel fishery is very considerable. There are many salt water Loughs, which are properly inlets of the sea, such as Lough Foyle, Lough Swilly. The Lagan Water which passes by Lisburn and Belfast, and the Newry Water, which falls into Carlingford Bay. The waters of IRELAND abound in all that can invite the Angler to their banks: perhaps they are better stored, and the fish contained in them of a size superior to those generally found elsewhere in the United Kingdom. Chub 7.8.9. Barbel 2.7.9. Smelt In Angles and deep Holes of Rivers From August In mild cloudy weather In fishing with float 1.2.4.5.6.1.2.3.4.5.... 2.3. Middle of Pendin Rivers during Sum May untill In Docks and at the Stem of Ships in April till Salmon ViolentStreams and large Rivers wh-April till from 4P.Mtill Sun-set Grayling Clay bottom, clear Water, and Allthe Year,chier All day in cool clou cold weather at bottom 1.254.56.89 123.4.5.6.7.. swift Streams. from Sept.to Jan. dy weather. Gudgeon Gravelly sandy Ground and May till All day. gentle Streams. Bleak October Sandy bottom deep Rivers at the All the Year but All day. the Water Eddies and turns are spawning cut in preces 10 small and unboiled. 1.. Deep gende running Water Holes that From July till In mild cloudy weather 1 Inch from bottom. 12.3.4.5.6.9 1.2.4.5.7. In Rivers gentle Streams not over From April Sun rise till 10 from 2 till Mid-water or 6 Inches 1.2.6.8.9.. untill January. Sun set if weather be clou from bottom.. In Ponds deep Holes near Weeds dy with rufling south May bill October All day. 6Inches from bottom 2.g.. Still deep muddy bottom, Pond or River March till August Early and late as possible Inches from bottom 1.2.3.4.0.. mid water in hot weather till June. Michaelmas. Swift clean Rivers over Pebbles. March till All day. 1.6. Sandy or Clay bottoms under Bull From May With a gentle gale Mid water if with a float. Among Weeds, under Reots and Holes May 'till All day when the water On the ground. 4.7.. 1.2. |