THE WAYS OF A TROUT 



187 



summer they reach the pink of condition. The phrase is 

 often literally correct, for the flesh of well-conditioned trout 

 in many streams and lakes is pink like that of a salmon. A 

 midsummer trout will weigh half as much again, length for 

 length, as one caught at the opening of the fishing season, 

 which is usually fixed too early ; and its lusty vigour makes 

 it one of the most attractive of creatures, either above or 

 under the water. 



Brown trout vary greatly in colour, as is implied to 

 some extent by their alternative name of yellow trout. 



LOCH SHIN 



But the range of colour is still more various. It corre- 

 sponds very closely with the nature of their haunts. Yellow 

 trout is the commonest name in many parts of Scotland, 

 and corresponds to the peat-tinged water of most of the 

 streams flowing from Scottish moors. In such streams, 

 and even more in many moorland lochs, the trout have 

 rich golden -brown bellies, darkening to brown on the 

 back, and variously spotted with red-brown and black. 

 Very different is the livery of a trout from the pale green 

 water, transparent as a pane of glass, in some stream from 

 the granite hills, or from clear sandstone rock with quartz 

 sand. Here the trout are almost as silvery as sea-trout, and 

 spotted with bright scarlet, like sprinkled holly-berries. 



