6 ANGLING FOK GAME FISH. 



are several varieties. Some lakes swarm with, under-sized, ill- 

 conditioned, half-fed little fish, so hungry that it is almost 

 dangerous to wade among them; while in other and larger 

 sheets of water the trout run large, and are sometimes the finest 

 specimens of their race. Besides these varieties, there are 

 found, in a limited number of lakes, ferox and gillaroo, of 

 which some account is given in Chapter TV. 



Sea-trout I have already formally introduced. I will only 

 say that to fish for sea-trout is to fish for salmon on a small 

 s6ale — that the methods are similar, but reduced. Flies, lines, 

 hooks, and rod — all are smaller ; but the fish, for their size, are 

 gamer than salmon, and more numerous. 



The Thames trout is, so to speak, the great lake-trout of 

 rivers. Being plentifully supplied with fish-food, he is great 

 in the matter of size and condition, and usually scorns a fly, 

 unless it is one of the large feather and tinsel arrangements, 

 yclept salmon-flies, or he himself is young and of an age to 

 appreciate trout-flies. He is a silvery fish, by reason of his 

 fish diet — one of the two things which help to silver a fish, 

 the other being a sojourn in the sea. 



The grayling is a different species to the salmon or trout, 

 though a member of the same important family. He spawns 

 in spring — whereas salmon and trout spawn in autumn and 

 winter — and is in best condition when trout are almost at 

 their worst. I will point out his peculiarities in Chapter YII. 



The char is chiefly remarkable for his scarceness. He is a 

 lake fish, and does not afford much sport to the angler. In ap- 

 pearance he much resembles trout, but whether of the same 

 species as the trout is an open question. Of the char and 

 grayling more anon. The following is a 



List of Local Names given to salmon and sea-trout at 

 the various stages of their existence; it should prove at times 

 very useful to those anglers who seek their sport in "fresh 

 fields and pastures new." 



SALMON. 

 Pug — A third-year salmon, Simen = Salmon (Northumber- 

 land). Par, or Parr— Stage between fry and smolt. Samlet, 



