﻿92 
  KEPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  FOOD, 
  «IZE, 
  ETC. 
  

  

  /, 
  i^^^^j 
  

  

  The 
  brook 
  trout 
  has 
  a 
  voracious 
  appetite 
  and 
  takes 
  advantage 
  of 
  

   every 
  opportunity 
  to 
  satisfy 
  it 
  except 
  in 
  the 
  spawning 
  season, 
  when 
  it 
  

   takes 
  no 
  food 
  at 
  all. 
  It 
  is 
  strictly 
  a 
  carnivorous 
  fish, 
  its 
  food 
  consisting 
  

   chiefly 
  of 
  Crustacea, 
  niollusca, 
  and 
  various 
  forms 
  of 
  insects 
  and 
  worms. 
  

   When 
  j)ressed 
  with 
  hunger 
  it 
  does 
  not 
  hesitate 
  to 
  devour 
  its 
  own 
  kind. 
  

  

  The 
  size 
  of 
  these 
  fish 
  varies 
  in 
  different 
  localities, 
  usually 
  in 
  propor- 
  

   tion 
  to 
  the 
  abundance 
  of 
  natural 
  food 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  body 
  of 
  

   water 
  in 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  found. 
  They 
  seldom, 
  however, 
  exceed 
  2 
  pounds. 
  

   The 
  Au 
  Sable 
  Eiver 
  trout 
  will 
  rarely 
  run 
  as 
  large 
  as 
  2^ 
  to 
  3 
  pounds, 
  but 
  

   in 
  other 
  rivers 
  of 
  Michigan 
  larger 
  examples 
  are 
  occasionally 
  found. 
  In 
  

   southern 
  Isl"ew 
  York 
  they 
  seldom 
  weigh 
  over 
  2 
  pounds, 
  while 
  in 
  the 
  

   Eangeley 
  Lakes, 
  of 
  Maine, 
  they 
  have 
  been 
  caught 
  weighing 
  10 
  pounds. 
  

   The 
  rate 
  of 
  growth 
  also 
  varies 
  with 
  the 
  surrounding 
  conditions 
  and 
  is 
  

   more 
  rapid 
  in 
  water 
  of 
  higher 
  temperature 
  and 
  with 
  a 
  plentiful 
  suj)ply 
  

   of 
  food. 
  Under 
  favorable 
  circumstances 
  an 
  average 
  growth 
  for 
  the 
  

   first 
  year 
  is 
  from 
  f 
  to 
  1 
  ounce, 
  in 
  two 
  years 
  8 
  to 
  10 
  ounces, 
  in 
  three 
  years 
  

   about 
  1 
  pound. 
  

  

  While 
  not 
  -of 
  any 
  considerable 
  commercial 
  importance, 
  the 
  brook 
  

   trout 
  is 
  highly 
  esteemed 
  as 
  a 
  table 
  delicacy 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  flavor 
  

   and 
  quality 
  of 
  its 
  flesh, 
  and, 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  very 
  game, 
  it 
  is 
  much 
  sought 
  after 
  

   by 
  sportsmen. 
  Those 
  from 
  clear, 
  swiftly 
  flowing 
  streams 
  do 
  not 
  grow 
  

   so 
  large 
  as 
  those 
  found 
  in 
  quiet 
  and 
  deeper 
  waters, 
  but 
  are 
  superior 
  in 
  

   quality 
  and 
  aj>pearance. 
  

  

  RANGE, 
  SPAWNING, 
  ETC. 
  

  

  The 
  natural 
  range 
  of 
  the 
  brook 
  trout 
  in 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  is 
  from 
  

   Maine 
  to 
  Georgia 
  and 
  westward 
  through 
  the 
  Great 
  Lakes 
  region 
  to 
  

   Minnesota, 
  and 
  in 
  Canada 
  from 
  Labrador 
  to 
  the 
  Saskatchewan. 
  Owing 
  

   to 
  its 
  hardy 
  nature 
  and 
  ability 
  to 
  adapt 
  itself 
  to 
  new 
  surroundings, 
  it 
  

   may 
  be 
  successfully 
  transplanted 
  into 
  suitable 
  streams, 
  and 
  has 
  been 
  

   extensively 
  introduced 
  into 
  waters 
  to 
  which 
  it 
  was 
  not 
  native, 
  in 
  Mich- 
  

   igan, 
  Wisconsin, 
  and 
  Minnesota, 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  the 
  Rocky 
  

   Mountains 
  and 
  the 
  Pacific 
  Coast, 
  the 
  Eastern 
  States, 
  and 
  the 
  creeks 
  

   and 
  rivers 
  of 
  the 
  Alleghany 
  range 
  of 
  mountains. 
  With 
  the 
  possible 
  

   exceptions 
  of 
  the 
  rainbow 
  trout 
  and 
  steelhead 
  it 
  is 
  the 
  hardiest 
  mem- 
  

   ber 
  of 
  the 
  salmon 
  family 
  and 
  will 
  make 
  a 
  brave 
  struggle 
  for 
  existence 
  

   even 
  with 
  adverse 
  surroundings. 
  All 
  streams 
  can 
  not 
  be 
  successfully 
  

   stocked 
  with 
  this 
  species; 
  the 
  temperature 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  must 
  not 
  be 
  too 
  

   high 
  nor 
  the 
  flow 
  too 
  sluggish, 
  although 
  an 
  unfavorable 
  temperature 
  is 
  

   no 
  serious 
  obstacle 
  if 
  the 
  speed 
  of 
  the 
  current 
  is 
  great 
  enough 
  to 
  insure 
  

   a 
  sufficient 
  aeration 
  of 
  the 
  water, 
  or 
  if 
  there 
  are 
  creeks 
  fed 
  by 
  springs 
  

   flowing 
  into 
  the 
  main 
  stream 
  to 
  which 
  the 
  fish 
  can 
  run. 
  The 
  best 
  

   streams 
  are 
  those 
  with 
  a 
  gravelly 
  bottom, 
  clear 
  shallow 
  water, 
  and 
  a 
  

   steady 
  current, 
  and 
  waters 
  to 
  be 
  stocked 
  must 
  contain 
  a 
  sufficient 
  

   amount 
  of 
  natural 
  food 
  and 
  suitable 
  i^laces 
  for 
  spawning. 
  

  

  