THE SALMON FAMILY. 197 



out at the same time, and enjoyed the same advantages of feed 

 and range of water, up to the time of being caught. Still, 

 in a brisk stream, I have generally considered a Trout of 

 seven inches as being in its second summer ; one of nine or 

 ten in its third summer ; a fish of twelve or thirteen in its 

 fourth ; and so on. 



The Trout found in the deep still waters of the state of 

 New York, though a variety of this species, are a third, or 

 one-half larger at the same age, than the fish of our clear 

 rapid streams ; and as the rivers and lakelets there are less 

 fished than the tributaries of the Delaware, Hudson, and 

 Susquehanna, the Trout have a chance of growing older, and 

 consequently larger. From my own observation, the average 

 size of the adult fish in northern New York is at least double 

 that of the fish taken in the streams flowing into the rivers 

 named above. 



Some years ago, I had an afternoon's fishing in Hamilton 

 County, when the catch was forty-five pounds. The fish 

 averaged fourteen inches in length, and not less than a pound 

 in weight. A friend on whose word I can rely, tells me he 

 has taken three Trout of two pounds each, at a single cast, in 

 the Raquette Eiver, and repeated it several times in succes- 

 sion ; and that he took off his drop-flies, to prevent a surfeit 

 of sport, or too much strain on his light rod. 



I have achieved something in the way of taking large 

 Trout in Hamilton County, but after a man has satisfied the 

 sentiment of camping out, and been bitten to his heart's 

 content by mosquitoes and punkies, he prefers sleeping on a 

 good straw bed, and enjoying the comforts of civilization, 

 where although the fish are smaller, the streams are livelier 

 and clearer, and it requires finer tackle and greater skill to 

 take them. 



There is a specific difference between our Brook Trout and 



