American Fisheries Society. 75 



throat trout, and is, in my opinion, fully its equal for tlic creel 

 or the table. 



THE RED-TIirvOAT TROUT. ( SallUO cl(lli-ii). 



The red-throat trout is the most widely distributed of all the 

 Eoeky Mountain fronts. It inhalnts, naturally, both slopes of 

 the Great Continental Divide, and as might be supposed from 

 this extensive range it varies in external appearance more than 

 any of the front species. There are a dozen or more well-defined 

 sub-species or geographical varieties, l)iit all liave the character- 

 istic red splaslies on the mendjrane of the throat. By means ol 

 this '"trade-mark" it may be readily distinguished from the rain- 

 bow or steel-head or other trout. But while it varies consider- 

 ably in contour, coloration and markings, in different localities, 

 it is identical in structure wherever found. Tt was originally in- 

 troduced to eastern waters as the California trout or liocky 

 [Mountain trout, and at the present time is known as the "black- 

 spotted'^ trout. The latter name is extremely unfortunate, as 

 the rainbow and steel-head are also "black-spotted," The name 

 red-throat trout is distinctive, and is preferalik' to the rather 

 repulsive name of "cut-throat" trout by whicli it is also known. 



Tlie red-throat trout is conmionly called the "brook trout," 

 or "speclcled Mountain trout," in the mountain region, wbich is 

 also an unfortunate designation, as the eastern lu'ook trout is 

 now being introduced in the same waters. When it grows to a 

 large size it is sometimes called "salmon trout," as in Yellow- 

 stone and other lakes, but the only salmon trout is the steel- 

 head. The red-throat trout rises more freely to tlie fly tliau the 

 eastern brook trout, tliough in gameness and flavor it is hardly 

 its equal. Its habits are also somewliat (lilTei'eiit. It usually lies 

 in pools and holes like the salmon, and does not frequent the 

 riflles so much as the eastern trout. In size it is somewhat larger 

 tlian the eastern trout in streams of the saiue relativt' widtli and 

 dei>tli. and like the eastern brook trout grows larger in lakt's. 



I ha\-e taken them weighing from three to five pounds in 

 Soda Butte Lake in the Yellowstone Xatioual I'ark. and in 

 Yankee Jim Canyon on the Yellowstone river. ' The red-throat 

 seldom breaks water when hooked, but puts up a vigorous fight 

 beneath the surface. As the streams are usualh" swift and rocky 



