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ODD FISHES OF ENGLISH LAKE Denizens of Clear Deep AVater Almost Unknown U American Anglers Inhabiting the beautiful waters of the English lake district are several species of fishes that an comparatively little known except to those wh make a study of ichthyology and to the smal body of anglers who luive at times made a spe ciilty of angling for them Among these species which an very rare except in particular localities and waters may be mentioned the char the powan and the vendace These are rather uiironimoi members of the piscine tribes and doubtless anglin readers will take something more than a passim notice of these few remarks concerning the same sameIt It is interesting to review if only superficially the peculiarities and habits of these uncommoi fishes that inhabit the deep still lakes of Cumber ¬ land and adjoining counties The iliar which i said to vary somewhat in appearance in differen waters is a most iMautiful fish Pretty as tin motthd and crimson jeweled trout can be tin chat goes one better in beauty of coloring Nature has indeed painted this superb fish with a lavisli hand and he must be an undiscerning angler win fails to exclaim with admiration upon first viwin the varied ami beautiful tints adorning this deep water fellow This fish is found exclusively in mountain lakes and deep tarns and in the lake district is principally met with in AVinderm re the likes Collision Ennerdah llaweswatir Llls water and various smaller sheets of deep water in Cumberland and the neighboring Westmorland WestmorlandThe The char is casily distinguished from the trou by the bright red and orange color of the abdomen especially in the hiveding season In genera appearance the buck is of dull olive green niergin into sea given on the sides shot with silver reflec tlems and spangled with red spots brilliant carmine and a tint resembling orange stain the under parts Tlie vcnlral and anal fins nv eif a reddisli color the pectoral fins greenish splashed witli red and the dorsal and caudal fins are of a darl green hue AVhen fresh caught this fellow U real beauty and well worth looking upon AVha a pity it is nor more spurting spurtingGenerally Generally speaking char haunt the deepest part of the lakes and seldom fiviiuent the shallow except at the time of spawning Doubtless till is the principal reason why they are not angle for to any great extent In some parts of tin world char an taken in nets and find a readv sale in the markets for if not greatly esteemed from a sporting point of view char are higtil priaed by epicures Putted char has been ivekume a delicaey in some districts for generations generationsCHAIt CHAIt POAVAN AND VENDACE OF LAKES LAKESAHlHHish AHlHHish KH rtsnteu do not pluct char high uj in thf ranks of game fishes thiy rceintnlae it as it fish of sr at beauty nitd mysterious habits Haunting as tliev do the Idiukest depths of the great sheets of water lying in the hollows of thf ageold hills char savor something of a mystery and as creatures of somewhat peculiar habits are very attractive and interesting to the trojit angler on the lakes when bv chance or getod luck he happens to find his keen barb fast in one In Windiimcrc and other lakrs char may be taken best by spinning deep with a kind of triangular spinner similar t those used for mackerel Anot her fNi of deep water is the powan This fish savors of the mysterious also haunting a it does the deeper parts Like the char it inhabits only certain waters and these the deepest lakes and tarns In the lake district it is most nu ¬ merous in Illswatcr and Ilaweswater lu habits and charaeteristies the powan rescmbles the char keeping much to the blackest depths of the lakes leaving those parts only for the shallows at the time of spawning usually late autumn H is however sometimes observed swimming quite near o the surface in warm summer weather feeding on gnats flies and other insects It is an extremely goodlooking fish and one observer describes it as of a iKautiful glossy brown slightly tinged with delieate pink iridescent anil silvery below the lateral line belly pun white gillcover bright s Ihvry eye large with white irides Hoth the char and the powan would rank high in the list of game Hies if only they were more easy of access aiid more spotting As it is their angling value is nothing great and few anglers speciale in fishing for them Inhabiting as they do the deeper recesses eif the great lakes and defp tarns little is actually known of their habits their principal food etc To anglers anil others with a penchant fir studying the ways of the piscine tribe these fishes an creatures both interesting and mysterious mysteriousAnother Another peculiar fish of the same genus is the vcndace So far as appears known this fish emy inhabits a group of lakes in Scotland and several of the English lakes namely AVindermere Derwent watcr Hesseiithwaite Lake and also the Kiver Greta In ways and habits this peculiar fish resembles the char and the powan and retires to deep water except eluring the breeding season when it haunts the shallows It is said to be givstiriwis and herringlike in its movements It is a pntty fish somewhat ivsembliug its near kin tin powan from whieh it is distinguished by its rather large scales and by a slight projection of the under jaw jawThe The vendace is seldom if ever angled for the few that are captured being taken in nets Although of little sporting value it has long been noted for its edible properties being aceeiuuted a dainty delicacy Many years ago there existed a society known as the Vendaec Club It was not quite in the tjitfgory of angling clubs but onee a year at least the members met and held a feast this peculiar table delicaey forming the staple portion of it This odd club has now ceased to exist Arthur Sharp in Fishing Gazette
