112 THE CLOSE SEASON 



feeding power, and, naturally, a more rapid power of 

 digestion, in the spring months, and that, in conse- 

 quence, they increase more in weight in the four 

 months between April and August than during the 

 rest of the year. These months, then, are the time 

 for the fisherman - 



TBOUT AND THE CLOSE SEASON 



I am inclined to think that to the majority of trout 

 fishermen the natural history of the Salmonidae is 

 as a sealed book. Fishing to them is but a pastime 

 to which the most delightful hours of their outdoor 

 life are devoted, and save during the moments which 

 are spent in the actual pursuit of this sport their 

 interest in these game fish seems to disappear. 



The life of the trout during the close season, for 

 instance, is practically unknown to the average 

 fisherman, and while the necessity of observing such 

 a period is recognized, the wisdom of the limits 

 imposed by the various fishing associations is but 

 seldom considered, and receives but a small proportion 

 of the criticism which is deserved by so momentous a 

 subject. 



Are trout sufficiently protected by the present 

 limits of the close season ? In order to strengthen my 

 own impressions in this matter and to avoid the 

 possibility of mistake, I have recently written to the 

 managers of several breeding establishments, to gentle- 

 men interested in trout breeding, and to those in 



