FRESHWATER TROUT 21 



the season when they are in condition. Generally 

 speaking, they are in condition from the middle of 

 April to the middle of September, but this entirely 

 depends upon the nature of the river and season. 

 They are never in condition till they get abundance 

 of insect food. The supply of this keeps pace with 

 the vegetation on the river's banks, and if the 

 season is advanced, trout, in streams which flow 

 through an early district of country, are quite fit 

 for the table by the beginning of April ; if the 

 season is backward, they may be fully a month 

 later of coming into condition. In all streams trout 

 are in their best condition when the May-flies are 

 just done, which is generally about the end of June. 

 They continue in condition all July, but subsequently 

 begin to fall off those that are red fleshed losing 

 their colour, and all kinds becoming pale and soft ; 

 and by the end of September or beginning of 

 October are quite full of spawn and hardly worth 

 capturing. It requires very little experience to tell 

 whether or not a trout is in condition ; the small 

 head in proportion to the body, and the breadth and 

 thickness of the body itself, at once indicate the 

 well-conditioned fish. All anglers should confine 

 their operations to that period of the year when 

 trout are fit for the table, as it is unsportsmanlike 

 in the highest degree to kill fish that are of no use. 

 Such being our opinion, we shall limit the con- 

 sideration of angling to the months in which trout 

 are in condition. 



During the last twenty years a great decrease has 



