326 TROUT AND ANGLING. 



time they become too easy a prey to the an- 

 gler. 



There is another variety peculiar for its bright 

 red spots, in the town of Sandwich, in what is 

 called the Upper Pond. This is supplied by 

 springs, but it is difficult to say whether the fish are 

 indigenous to the water or not, for although the 

 water is cold, and therefore congenial to their hab- 

 its, yet they may have originally come from the 

 sea, and changed their nature from being confined 

 to the pond, by the obstructions upon the stream 

 which runs from it ; this may be said of many 

 other ponds and the effect of confinement and 

 change of food, is that of rendering the flesh soft 

 and muddy to the taste. 



It has been remarked that the larger the water 

 the longer the fish, and also that wherever trout 

 are found, there are few of any other kind offish. 

 This arises from the fact of their requiring a cold- 

 er temperature than suits the nature of most other 

 fresh water fishes. In fact, according as the water^ 

 is cold, the flesh of the trout is firm and high fla- 

 vored. In Enfield Pond, in the state of New 

 Hampshire, there is a very large growth, which 

 in this and other waters of the same size, have 

 been known to attain the weight of ten or twelve 

 pounds ; here as elsewhere, they are never taken 

 but in the winter through the ice, a method which 



