INTRODUCTORY 



and numbers. Give them ample food; they can- 

 not help but breed and multiply to a much greater 

 extent than by means of artificial culture. I am 

 given to understand by those who are competent 

 to judge that the natural food for game-fishes is 

 far more abundant in waters flowing to the Pacific, 

 also in the Middle Western waters, feeding or fed 

 by the Great Lakes, than in rivers on the Eastern 

 seaboard. This, if true, accounts for the much 

 larger size attained in the West in different species 

 of trout, bass, and pike. 



A six-pound rainbow from Eastern waters is con- 

 sidered a giant. One of sixteen pounds is of com- 

 mon occurrence in Montana. The rainbows there 

 feed on a giant winged hellgrammite and large bull- 

 heads; even the insects are of unusual size. While 

 the Eastern rainbow is crammed with tiny insects, 

 which is the only available food, they would soon 

 get the large-size food if it were at hand to devour. 

 When nature does see fit to provide with unusual 

 lavishness, we find the Eastern rainbow takes its 

 full share to suffocation, and it is shown in other 

 species during the annual shad-fly glut, which 

 occurs during May. In our large Eastern trout 

 rivers the minnow family are wofully scarce; 

 indeed the same is true of other food -fish. I am 



