BREEDING OF THE TROUT 



lives not so long as the Pearch and divers other fishes do, 

 as Sir Francis Bacon hath observed in his * History of Life 

 and Death.' 



And next you are to take notice, that he is not like the 

 Crocodile, which if he lives never so long, yet always thrives 

 till his death : but 'tis not so with the Trout ; for after he is 

 come to his full growth, he declines in his body, and keeps his 

 bigness or thrives only in his head till his death. And you are 

 to know, that he will about, especially before, the time of his 

 spawning, get almost miraculously through wears, and flood- 

 gates against the streams ; even through such high and swift 

 places as is almost incredible. Next, that the Trout usually 

 spawns about October or November, but in some rivers a little 

 sooner or later: which is the more observable, because most 

 other fish spawn in the Spring or Summer, when the sun hath 

 warmed both the earth and water, and made it fit for generation. 

 And you are to note, that he continues many months out of 

 season : for it may be observed of the Trout, that he is like the 

 Buck or the Ox, that will not be fat in many months, though he 

 go in the very same pasture that horses do, which will be fat 

 in one month ; and so you may observe, that most other fishes 

 recover strength, and grow sooner fat and in season, than the 

 Trout doth. 



And next you are to note, that till the sun gets to such a 

 height as to warm the earth and the water, the Trout is sick 

 and lean, and lousy, and unwholesome : for you shall in Winter 

 find him to have a big head, and then to be lank, and thin, and 

 lean : at which time many of them have sticking on them Sugs, 

 or Trout-lice, which is a kind of a worm, in shape like a clove 

 or pin, with a big head, and sticks close to him and sucks his 

 moisture ; those, I think, the Trout breeds himself, and never 

 thrives till he free himself from them, which is when warm 

 weather comes ; and then, as he grows stronger, he gets from 

 the dead, still water, into the sharp streams, and the gravel, 

 and there rubs off these worms or lice ; and then, as he grows 

 stronger, so he gets him into swifter and swifter streams, and 

 there lies at the watch for any fly or Minnow, that comes near 

 to him ; and he especially loves the May-fly, which is bred of 

 the Cod- Worm, or Cadis ; and these make the Trout bold and 



45 



