SIZE ATTAINED BY LAKE SALMON. 165 



More authentic early records of size appear in a magazine article descriptive of fish- 

 ing expeditions on Sebago Lake in 1830 ('M' 1832, p. 526-529). The author said that 

 the salmon trout, as he called it, varied from two to 14 pounds. His records are: one 

 upward of 6 pounds, several largest 8 pounds, two, male and female, the first a Little 

 under and the second a little over 8 pounds. He said, 'The Transcript notices the appear- 

 ance of a 18 lb. trout from Sebago pond in the Boston market.' 



In 1833 Dr. Jerome V. C. Smith (1833, p. 334) says of a trip by a party of which he 

 was a member: 'On this occasion the average number taken in a day, by the party of 

 four, which ransacked the lake in a boat, was near twenty-five, the weight being from 

 about two to five pounds each. 



'Very erroneous opinions are formed of the weight of these trout. They are generally 

 exaggerated ; and this may be said of them whenever they are found, but as it respects 

 this pond, though it is not uncommon to take them of six, and occasionally of twelve 

 pounds, yet it was the opinion of the celebrated Mr. White, which has been confirmed 

 by our own observation, that considering the prevailing number of small fish, they do 

 not average over a pound and a half each through the season of fishing. This remark 

 may strike some with surprise, who have told a very different story, founded perhaps 

 on their individual good success. The truth is, they have degenerated not only in size, 

 but in numbers, owing to various causes, unnecessary to detail.' 



The foregoing was written over 100 years ago, but in recent years the same statement 

 has been made of Sebago salmon. 



From sportsmen's journals and papers, largely Forest and Stream and American Angler, 

 it has been possible to present a few records of weights of salmon taken in Sebago Lake, 

 for 28 years out of over 40 years from 1875 to 1917 inclusive. Similar records condensed 

 from reports in bulletins issued by the passenger department of the Maine Central 

 Railroad from 1915 to 1930 are also briefly given here. 



Supplementing these is table 27 compiled from data furnished by the Maine Com- 

 missioners of Inland Fish and Game, during those years. 



In the sportsmen's journals probably, as a rule, only the largest fish were reported 

 and many smaller ones caught were never mentioned. Only in a few instances are there 

 sufficient numbers of fish to make the average mean much. The greater the number 

 of fish in any year the smaller the average seems to be. Thus: in 1886, 10 fish averaged 

 11.2 pounds; in 1896, 26 fish averaged 6.2 pounds; in 1905, 39 fish averaged 8.37 pounds; 

 in 1909, 164 fish averaged 5.5 pounds; in 1917, 176 fish averaged 3.5 pounds. The largest 

 fish of each of the 28 years represented, i.e., 27 fish range from sbv to 223^2 pounds, and 

 averaged about 123^ pounds. 



Better averages are reached in the Maine Central's records. The averages of those for 

 which individual weights are given range from two to 5.43 pounds. The most common 

 averages are between four and five pounds. The fish recorded as largest range from 1}/^ 

 to 113^^ pounds and average from 3.8 to 6.39 pounds. The records suggest some decrease 

 in size in the most recent years. 



A falling off in size is also indicated by the data from the Raymond Hatchery. The 



