28 THE FINE ART OF FISHING 



covers are covered with dark spots; the belly is pure 

 white, above which is a deep yellow hue." 



The back of the brown trout is not marbled, or ver- 

 miculated, as in the case of fontinalis. The coloration 

 is quite as susceptible to change due to environment as 

 that of the native trout. The most beautiful specimens 

 are those living in fast water, unshaded, and running 

 over gravel bottom. Such fish are extremely brilliant 

 in coloration, with vivid red spots and a very beautiful 

 golden luster. Others, living in slow, deep, shaded 

 water with dark bottom, are dull in coloration. The 

 spawning period and habits are practically those of the 

 native trout. 



The brown trout is the trout of our English brother 



anglers and is the fish either particularly referred to 



or implied as a matter of course in the 



The Brown English literature of fly-fishing. Over 



T r0 ^ * * d there the Pursuit of the trout the Brit- 

 the Dry-fly. . , t , . 



isher takes his sport rather more serious- 

 ly than does the Yankee has been reduced to an exact 

 science, at least to such a degree of exactness as the 

 nature of the sport permits. The outcome of this de- 

 termined onslaught upon the ranks of the brown trout 

 is seen in the resultant English method of dry-fly fish- 

 ing, latterly coming into some prominence in this coun- 

 try. A single dry or floating fly is used, and cast only 

 in case the angler is a dry-fly purist, that is, in the 

 last stages of the disease to a rising trout. The arti- 

 ficials mostly in use are exact imitations of the preva- 

 lent insect life of the stream. 



The reports of American anglers who have experi- 



