1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 109 



should be no difficulty at all under such circumstances in obtaining 

 sufficient fry to stock any waters for sporting purposes that might be 

 deemed desirable. 



The Rainbow Trout. 



The Rainbow Trout, although not indigenous to Provincial waters, 

 must be accorded a place among the game fishes at present to be found 

 in the Province. The fish, (salmo Irrideus), is a native of the waters of 

 some of the western states of the Union and was first introduced experi- 

 mentally into the St. Mary's River by the Michigan authorities some 

 thirty years ago, as well as into various other rivers and streams of 

 that State. In the intervening time it has thriven exceedingly and in 

 the St. Mary's River has been known to attain a very great size, a speci- 

 men of 14 lbs. weight having been caught by angling in the Canadian 

 waters of the Soo Rapids in 1909, while in the press of 1910 the capture 

 in a net of a monster weighing 35 lbs. was recorded as a fact. A few 

 of the Provincial streams in the neighborhood of Sault Ste Marie were 

 planted with the fry of this fish, obtained by,citizens of that town from 

 the Michigan hatchery, but it is impossible to determine exactly the 

 area in Ontario over which it is now distributed. Doubtless in the 

 course of time it may be expected to spread west into all the streams 

 entering Lake Superior and indeed a small specimen of about 14 lb. 

 weight was caught as far west as the Steel River in 1910. Possibly, also, 

 it may eventually occur in the rivers and streams flowing into the 

 Georgian Bay or North Channel. 



The Rainbow Trout feeds chiefly on shrimp, insects and larvae of 

 insects, vi^hile the larger specimens in the St. Mary's River are known to 

 be fond of the cockedoosh, (a species of minnow), and of small herring. 

 In general, however, the fish, unlike the speckled trout, is not cannibal- 

 istic, and this fact greatly facilitates the raising of young fry to the 

 fingerling stage in hatcheries. It prefers waters as a rule of somewhat 

 higher temperature than those most favorable to brook trout, and can 

 be expected to spawn in Canada from about the middle of May to the 

 middle of June, while the period of incubation should be approximately 

 50 days. The rainbow prefers a gravel or mixed gravel and stony bottom 

 for spawning purposes, though if these are not available they will spawn 

 on clean sand. 



In game qualities the rainbow trout ranks very high, being held by 

 many to excel even the brook trout in this respect. It is to be captured 

 with a live minnow or cockedoosh, or by means of various artificial 

 baits, such as a small trolling spoon or artificial minnow. Strips of 

 fat pork are said also to be effective with the larger sp<K'imens, while 

 the trout will also rise to a fly, the best for the purpose being light or 

 bright ones, such as the Parmachine Belle and Junglecock. No more 

 exciting sport could be desired than to tackle a large rainbow in the 



