NATURAL HISTORY OF BRITISH SALMONID&. 177 



his tackle and the weights he used to lead his line, was 

 unique. 



In Sweden, a writer, formerly well known to readers of 

 angling literature under the nom de plume of 'An Old Bushman,' 

 gives thirty pounds as a weight frequently attained by the Great 

 Lake trout in the waters of that country. The marks by which 

 he distinguished the ferox from the fario, when of a greater 

 weight than, say, eight or twelve pounds, were ' the thick clumsy 

 form, the great square tail, and the dull bluish steel colour of 

 the body, with but fewish spots.' His conclusion, however, 

 it should be stated is rather in favour of the lake trout being 

 merely overgrown specimens of the Salmo fario than distinct 

 species, an opinion boldly advanced also by that thoroughly 

 practical fisherman, Mr. Thomas Tod Stoddart, in the teeth of 

 Yarrell, Couch, Selby, Wilson, Jardine, and other ichthyologists. 



In the parr or early stage of growth it is very difficult, if 

 not impossible, to distinguish between the young of the Salmo 

 fario and of the Great Lake trout. 



I believe that neither in this country nor in Sweden does 

 the Salmo ferox, under ordinary circumstances, rise to the arti- 

 ficial fly, at any rate when he has arrived at anything like 

 maturity, and the only effectual way of taking him is by spin- 

 ning. Such hints as I am able to offer on this subject wil be 

 found in the chapter devoted to lake trout spinning. 



