358 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. 



other, there were three lateral lines of large brilliant 

 red spots, interspersed with minor straw-coloured ones, 

 and in some specimens the anal and pectoral fins had 

 the first two or three spines black. Altogether, in 

 shape and colouring, a more game-looking, beautiful 

 fish cannot be imagined ; moreover, their table quali- 

 ties surpassed in delicacy of flavour any fish I have 

 .ever eaten, for the bright red flesh had a delicate nutty 

 flavour indescribable and, I fear, scarcely imaginable. 

 Our guide, who was also cook and master of camp, 

 used to fry in cream the smaller ones, and I doubt if 

 ever prince or epicure had a dish placed before him 

 more worthy of his palate. 



But having given what I know to be, more particu- 

 larly to the naturalist, a far from perfect description 

 of this handsome fish's peculiarities, its habits, as 

 differing from the trout I have known, may have in- 

 terest. With the artificial fly they were not so readily 

 taken as with minnow or worm. When hooked I 

 never knew them to spring from the water, and the 

 quiet reach of the pool was invariably a more certain 

 find than the brawling neck. After sunset I never 

 could succeed in capturing them, and the best hours 

 in the day were from sunrise till it commenced to get 

 warm, and the two hours preceding sunset. After 

 these fish had disappeared from the river, I discovered 

 that they could be taken in the deep waters in the 

 lakes, either with minnow or natural fly, the bait being- 

 sunk close to the bottom ; and the places where I was 

 generally most successful in this fishing was where, 

 our guide affirmed, were situated the springs that 

 partially fed these lakes ; his reason for this statement 

 being that this portion of the lake always remained 



