348 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 



fly upon, and drew it across the ice over the trout below. 

 Again and again they rose with the utmost eagerness, 

 bumping their little noses against the under surface of 

 the ice. 



Those who rear trout say, that under like conditions 

 there is considerable individuality in their growth. Seth 

 Green, in his "Trout Culture " (1870), says with good feed- 

 ing they will reach one pound in three years ; that they 

 grow slower in running water than ponds; that the rate 

 of increase diminishes with age, and puts their average 

 longevity at twelve to fourteen years. Norris, in his 

 "American Fish Culture," gives an instance of four 

 pounds at a little over four years. In a New Jersey 

 pond the fry placed therein, with the yolk-sack still at- 

 tached, attained two pounds in three years. In a Long 

 Island pond trout one year old and five inches long, 

 grew to eleven inches in their second year, and in their 

 third to fourteen ounces or a pound (thirteen and a half 

 to fourteen and a half inches, about) in weight. 



But all these seem to have been cases of domesticated 

 trout artificially fed. Some definite knowledge in re- 

 gard to the growth of wild trout is very desirable. From 

 the very nature of the case it must vary widely in differ- 

 ent localities, since the ultimate result is so different; 

 still it would be well if every angler who had any defi- 

 nite information on the subject, no matter how restrict- 

 ed in scope, should make it a matter of record. Ulti- 

 mately some enthusiast would collate these scattered 

 facts, and thus and only thus, as far as I can see, can 

 the desired information be obtained. 



That I may practise what I preach, I relate the fol- 

 lowing incident, one of the pleasantest in my fishing 

 experience. 



