SIZE AND AGE OF TROUT 15 



in proportion to their size than large ones, 

 as a large river has not so much bed in 

 proportion to its size. It is principally the 

 bed of a river which yields the insects and 

 other food upon which trout live.' There 

 is undoubted truth in the remarks ; but in- 

 sufficient attention appears to have been given 

 to the great exceptions, if such indeed they 

 are. Thus Spey, Tay, Tummel, Don, Deveron, 

 Inver, and even his own Tweed ; do these not 

 class among larger rivers, and do they not 

 claim rank amongst our best trouting streams ? 

 Again he says : ' Trout are seldom so numer- 

 ous in rivers where salmon-par abound ; are 

 rarely such good trouting streams as those 

 where there are none, the small fish con- 

 suming a large proportion of the food of 

 the river/ We fail to reconcile our own 

 experiences with this latter statement, and 

 again instance the same rivers mentioned 

 above, which are not only large rivers, but 

 also rivers 'infested with par.' [Salmon 

 men ! don't look askance at the expression. 

 We are speaking of trout. If salmon-fry 

 eat much of the food, trout and salmon kelts 

 eat much of the fry.] 



