4o0 



to feed, and ineasursi an inch and a half in tvvu months, when they beojin to show 

 the spots -and bars of the " Parr." This stage persists till the second or third 

 sprino-, when the Parr has become seven to eight inches in length, and then it 

 makes its way towards the sea as a " Smelt," exchanging its bright colours for 

 the uniform silvery coat of the new stage. The length of time which the smolt 

 lives in the sea varies from four to twenty-eight months; it returns to its native 

 river as a "Grilse," and in the case of the male has by this time attain.KJ sexual 

 maturity. The grilse phase is n''arked by a slenderer body, smaller head, more 

 forked tail, and bluish spots, wliilc the weight may vary from two to six pounds. 



The land-locked Salmon above referred to — the Winninish or Ouananiche 

 of the Indian — so abundant in Lake St. John, probably also occurs in suitab'e 

 plases in Ontario. Hallock in the Sportsman's Gazetteer speaks of the so-called 

 Salmon Trout of the Stony Like region as landdocked salmon and as identical 

 with those of Lake St. John. Mr. H. T. Strickland, writing through Mr. Justice 

 Falconbridge, observes that these fish were first lecognized as land-locked Salmon 

 by Seth Green. They live in the deeper parts of the lakes only coming into 

 shallow water at the end of October or the beginning of November to their spawn- 

 ing beds. Tiiey frequent swift currents when the ice breaks up in spring and 

 may then be taken by rod and line with live bait. Ij is possible tliat in certain 

 instances these larger trout from the inland lakes may be varieties of the next 

 species. 



The Lake Trout or Lake Salmon Trout and the Brook Trout both belong to 

 the genus Salvelinus, but the larger species {S. namaycush) has a distinct toothed 

 crest on the vomer. Its colouration is for the most part dark grey, with paler grey 

 spots, the dorsal and caudal fins being reticulated with darker markings. There 

 is considerable colour variation recognized by the fishermen : thus the Truites de 

 Greve are those dull coloured ones from muddy bottoms ; the Traites des Battures 

 are prettily mottled ones from rocky shores, while the Truites du Large are 

 silvery-coated individuals from deep water. 



The Namaycush (its Indian name) attains a length of over three feet and a 

 weight of 20 to 30 lbs. and upwards, which it undoubtedly owes to the succulent 

 whitefish and herring on which it preys. It is by no means confined to the chain 

 of great lakes, but is found in all large bodies of fresh water. A variety from 

 the deeper waters of Lake Superior, the Siscowet, is said to be a very superior 

 food fish, at least in its salted condition, to the Namaycush and differs from it in its 

 smaller size (4| to 5 lbs.), its less frequency, more silvery colouring, as well as in 

 its shorter and broader head, the eyes being near the end of the nose and further 

 apai't than in the Namaycush. The flesh is extremely fat, to which circumstance 

 its Indian name is due. 



The Lake Trout spawn late in October, before the Whitefish, coming into 

 comparativelyshallow water,and depositing their large eggs in the crevices of rocky 

 reefs, where they remain till hatched early in spring. 



The average weight of the fish taken in the gill nets is 5 to 15 lbs., but indi- 

 viduals may attain dimensions second only to those of the Sturgeon. A '20 lb. 

 trout has been found with 18 herrings in its stomach, an indication of the voracity 

 to which they owe their rapid growth. 



Accessibility to an abundant supply of food appears to have a similar efiect 

 on the size of the Brook Trout {S. fontinalis), for in the Neepigon, fish up to 

 seventeen pounds in weight have been secured, and sea- run individuals (Sea-Trout) 

 frequently weigh 6 and 8 lbs. Generally speaking, however, in small streams 

 and ponds the trout rarely attain more than a pound in weight. 



