FISHES AND FISHING IN SUNAPEE LAKE. 55 



No direct observatioQS were made upon the spawning habits of 

 trout in Sunapee Lake. From the foregoing quotations and notes 

 it is seen that formerly the trout ascended the brooks to spawn. The 

 principal brooks frequented were Pike and Blodgetts Brooks, espe- 

 cially the former. In the fish cultural operations of recent years the 

 trout were taken along the shores, principally near the mouths of 

 brooks and very seldom on the ''Reefs." It is probable that even 

 now the few trout that breed in the lake attempt to enter the brooks 

 and failmg that they deposit their eggs in shallow water along the 

 shore. In evidence of this it may be stated that on October 19 a pair, 

 a male of perhaps 2^ or 3 pounds and a female estimated at 2 pounds, 

 was discovered in a slip in the boathouse at Blodgetts Landing, which 

 is not far distant from the brook. The female, constantly attended 

 by the male, swam slowly about. The position of the male in rela- 

 tion to the female was always above her so that he could swim over, 

 barely touching or just free from her. He was never below or along- 

 side. This relative position was maintained during the several 

 observations made upon them during that day. On the 20th the 

 fish had gone, probably having been disturbed by the frequent out- 

 going and incoming of a motor boat. 



Size. — The trout varies in size according to the conditions of envi- 

 ronment, in some waters attaining maturity when small and remaining 

 small. In other places it grows rapidly, attaining a considerable size 

 before maturity and reaching a weight of 10 pounds or more. 



There seems to be very little that can be learned regarding the size 

 obtained by trout in Sunapee Lake prior to the beginning of fish cul- 

 ture. In Forest and Stream of September 2, 1886, Dr. Quackenbos 

 gives the following records of "largest trout" caught in Sunapee Lake, 

 but no definite dates appear: George Farmer, of Newbury, one of 12 

 pounds, 30 years ago; J. C. Sticknoy, North Point, one of 10 pounds; 

 Frank Jewett, Pike Shore, one of 9 pounds; Alvin Haskins, one of 7 

 pounds 14 ounces, in Pike Brook. Dr. Quackenbos states that the 

 largest "couplet" that he had on record was 13 pounds, and the best 

 sweep by the seine fishermen was in 1837, at Newbury, when 40 brook 

 trout from 1 to 5 pounds each were taken in 15 minutes. 



Previous quotations from the New Hampshire Fish Commission 

 reports show that in 1883 trout were taken weighing from 1 to 6 

 pounds, and again in 1888 that the fish taken ranged from 1 to 7 

 pounds. 



If the native trout in those early days attained a large size,' there 

 must have been abundant food, especially in the form of young and 

 small fishes. Trovit do not reach a large size on an exclusively insect 

 diet, probably because such food is seldom sufficiently abundant to 

 supply tho required nourishment to a large number of fish. Where 

 the chub and redfhi occur, unless under unfavorable conditions, they 



