THE BULL TROUT. 143 



The Butt Trout. 



The bull trout rather resembles a trout than a salmon, having 

 a larger head in proportion to its bulk than either the salmon or 

 salmon trout, when the latter was in good order and condition ; 

 and in adult fish the tail of the bull trout becomes convex, the 

 mouth is wider, and the teeth much larger and stronger than those 

 of the salmon trout or salmon ; he being in fact more of a fish of 

 prey, and altogether much more like the great lake trout than any 

 other of the salmon tribe. 



The bull trout grows to a large size, instances having occurred 

 of some attaining twenty pounds ; but the greater part we meet 

 with in most of our rivers do not reach more than half that 

 weight. 



It ascends the fresh waters in the same manner as the salmon 

 and salmon trout, and the young fry of both description of fish are 

 classed together indiscriminately under the appellation of salmon 

 smolts. The second year the tail assumes a square form, at which 

 time it is called a whitling : afterwards the central rays growing 

 out increases with its age, and assuming by degrees a rounded 

 or convex form, when it acquires the name of round tail. 



Although exceedingly plentiful in the Tweed, and some of the 

 rivers in the Northern parts of the kingdom, it is not so general 

 a fish as either the salmon or salmon trout, though there are 

 few of our rivers in which it is not occasionally to be met with, 

 and in some it is tolerably abundant. 



They take the same baits as the trout, and are remarkably 

 greedy after the spawn of the salmon, which is one of the 

 best baits that can be used for catching them. Unlike the salmon 

 trout they run eagerly at a minnow, and are so voracious as often 

 to seize upon fish of considerable size, being often taken by per- 

 sons when trolling for pike with the ordinary baits and tackling in 

 common use for that purpose ; and many fish that anglers have 

 set down as trout, that they have taken in this manner, are in 

 reality of the bull species, but which, after being a short time in 



