AMERICAN FISHER TKS SOCIETY. 



to and discharge their waters on the extreme northern coast of 

 the Lower Peninsula the grayling- have entirely disappeared, 

 although now and then an occasional straggler may be found. 

 The cause of this depletion is, however, directly traceable to the 

 lumberman and the trout. The grayling cannot successfully 

 run the gauntlet of log-running and the vicious attacks of the 

 trout, who loves the dainty and succulent fry and the youngster 

 grayling, and overcomes them both. It is a fact that luitil with- 

 in the last thirty or forty years, brook trout were unknown in 

 the northern streams of Michigan, while the streams of the 

 Upper Peninsula, discharging their waters into Lake Michigan, 

 are stocked almost exclusively with the trout. The theory ad- 

 vanced and generally accepted by those familiar with the facts, 

 is that a migration of the trout has taken place from the streams 

 emptying their waters into Lakes Michigan and Huron to those 

 grayling steams. There is much reason, it would seem, for this 

 argument. It is a peculiar fact that the waters of the Maple 

 River, lying in the extreme northern portion of the Lower Pen- 

 insula, are well stocked with grayling. This stream flows in a 

 southerly course, which is contrary to the direction of most of 

 the streams in that portion of the State, discharging its waters 

 into Burt Lake, one of the larger lakes of the " Inland Chain," 

 which extends from Cheboygan to Petoskey, and is famous for 

 its bass and pike fishing. To carry the argument to its seem- 

 ingly just conclusion, it might be inferred with reason that the 

 trout would be shy of entering upon waters in the possession of 

 these voracious and predatory fish, and the probabilities are 

 very strongly in favor of the theory that if they did enter upon 

 such territory and lie down peaceably together, it would be that 

 peaceful quietness of the trout lying down inside the bass or 

 pike. On the other hand, the Maple is a swift, brawling, gray- 

 ling stream ; its waters are cold, a peculiarity of all grayling 

 streams, offering no inducement to the bass or pike to take up 

 their abode within its borders, and the consequence is that the 

 grayling remains in full possession, having the advantage of the 

 watchfulness of vigilant sentinels standing guard at the mouth 

 of the river to prevent the entrance of the trout. The other 

 streams I have mentioned discharge their waters either directly 



