Kern River Trout 263 



The trout in Kern River is very similar in its 

 markings and coloration to the McCloud River 

 or Shasta trout; the scales, however, are smaller, 

 being about equal in size to those on the typical 

 cut-throat ; sides and body profusely spotted, and 

 the old fish have more or less orange between 

 the branches of the lower jaw, which marking is 

 faint or entirely wanting in the young fish. The 

 characteristic red lateral band is present at all 

 ages. 



These fishes are very game, taking the fly on 

 the surface and fighting hard by deep and long 

 surges, a five-pounder taxing tackle and skill to 

 net. None of them jumped out of water when 

 hooked by me, but some anglers assert that 

 these fish always come into the air when re- 

 strained by a springing rod, and from the fact 

 that they are rainbows, the typical fish of this 

 species always jumping freely, I am disposed to 

 think that my experience was unusual, and that 

 the fish were not in a leaping humor during my 

 three days' outing on Kern River. This leads 

 me to condone the sometimes liberal statements 

 made by anglers as to the " how, when, and 

 where " they killed such and such fish, and the 

 peculiar antics the fins displayed before they were 



