BOTTOM FISH FOOD IN LAKES 67 



from less than a quarter of an inch to two inches 

 long. In other lakes, where the bed is in most part 

 covered with aquatic growth, at certain seasons 

 this is alive with fresh-water shrimps, creepers, bee- 

 tles, and insects. 



In some lakes (large or small) where food is so 

 thick as to be consumed without effort, trout do 

 not rise to flies at the surface; also they do not 

 usually display any active resistance when cap- 

 tured on rod and line, whatever bait may be em- 

 ployed. The right bait to use must be found out 

 by opening the stomach to see what it contains. 

 Anglers have found that in almost every instance 

 the worm, either large or small, has heretofore 

 been the only successful bait to capture specimens 

 for investigation. At the same time, the worm is 

 not always a safe bait, and I am sure that a live 

 bullhead or sunfish, if it can be procured, is bound 

 to be more effective to get those trout, or an arti- 

 ficial imitation made to act in the water like that, 

 or other natural food. It is far more difficult to 

 attain success in bottom fishing than at the sur- 

 face of lake, where food is not visible and trout 

 congregate together in certain parts which are 

 very difficult to determine. We can only spot 

 them by frequent tests of different food. The 



