﻿14 
  

  

  FISHES 
  OF 
  THE 
  YELLOWSTONE 
  NATIONAL 
  PARK. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  park 
  it 
  naturally 
  occurs 
  in 
  the 
  Yellowstone 
  River 
  below 
  the 
  

   falls 
  as 
  far 
  up 
  as 
  Crevice 
  Gulch, 
  beyond 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  seldom 
  found; 
  

   also 
  in 
  Madison 
  and 
  Gallatin 
  Rivers 
  below 
  the 
  falls; 
  and 
  has 
  been 
  

   reported 
  also 
  from 
  the 
  junction 
  of 
  Firehole 
  and 
  Gibbon 
  Rivers. 
  

  

  Young 
  whitefish, 
  2 
  to 
  5 
  inches 
  long, 
  from 
  Montana, 
  were 
  planted 
  

   in 
  park 
  waters 
  as 
  follows: 
  In 
  1889, 
  2,000 
  were 
  placed 
  in 
  Twin 
  Lakes 
  

   and 
  980 
  in 
  Yellowstone 
  River 
  above 
  the 
  falls, 
  and 
  10,000 
  more 
  were 
  

   planted 
  in 
  the 
  latter 
  place 
  in 
  1890. 
  It 
  is 
  considered 
  doubtful 
  if 
  any 
  

   of 
  these 
  have 
  survived, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  number 
  and 
  size 
  of 
  voracious 
  

   trout 
  in 
  the 
  Yellowstone 
  River 
  and 
  the 
  mineral 
  character 
  and 
  high 
  

   temperature 
  of 
  Twin 
  Lakes. 
  

  

  This 
  fish 
  prefers 
  clear, 
  cold 
  lakes 
  and 
  streams, 
  where 
  the 
  usual 
  

   length 
  of 
  adults 
  is 
  about 
  a 
  foot 
  or 
  so, 
  although 
  it 
  is 
  known 
  to 
  have 
  

   attained 
  a 
  weight 
  of 
  4 
  pounds. 
  The 
  cismontanus 
  form 
  is 
  essentially 
  

   a 
  river 
  fish 
  rather 
  than 
  an 
  inhabitant 
  of 
  lakes, 
  and 
  is 
  most 
  abundant 
  

  

  Fig. 
  2. 
  — 
  Native 
  whitefish; 
  Rocky 
  Mountain 
  whitefish. 
  

  

  in 
  the 
  eddies 
  or 
  deeper 
  places 
  of 
  swift 
  streams. 
  It 
  spawns 
  in 
  late 
  fall 
  

   or 
  early 
  winter. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  a 
  slender 
  graceful 
  fish, 
  readily 
  taking 
  the 
  artificial 
  fly 
  hke 
  a 
  

   grayling 
  or 
  trout, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  natm'al 
  baits, 
  such 
  as 
  worms 
  and 
  insects, 
  

   and 
  even 
  fresh 
  meat. 
  However, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  smaUness 
  of 
  its 
  mouth, 
  

   the 
  hook 
  should 
  be 
  no 
  larger 
  than 
  no. 
  10 
  or 
  12, 
  and 
  when 
  hooked 
  the 
  

   fish 
  requires 
  careful 
  "playmg" 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  tenderness 
  of 
  the 
  mouth 
  

   parts. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  game 
  fighter. 
  It 
  ranks 
  high 
  as 
  a 
  panfish, 
  for, 
  when 
  in 
  

   condition, 
  it 
  is 
  of 
  surpassing 
  sweetness 
  and 
  dehcacy 
  of 
  flavor. 
  

  

  3. 
  Native 
  Trout; 
  Cutthroat 
  Trout; 
  Blackspotted 
  Trout 
  

  

  (Salmo 
  clarkii). 
  

  

  (See 
  Frontispiece.) 
  

  

  In 
  its 
  numerous 
  varietal, 
  subspecific, 
  or 
  specific 
  forms 
  the 
  cutthroat 
  

   or 
  blackspotted 
  trout 
  is 
  of 
  extensive 
  distribution 
  on 
  the 
  Pacific 
  slope. 
  

   In 
  the 
  park 
  a 
  form 
  previously 
  designated 
  as 
  Salmo 
  lewisi 
  is 
  found 
  

   naturally 
  in 
  both 
  the 
  upper 
  Snake 
  and 
  upper 
  Missouri 
  Waters, 
  hav- 
  

   ing 
  doubtless 
  gained 
  the 
  latter 
  from 
  the 
  Snake 
  River 
  by 
  the 
  way 
  of 
  

  

  