118 TROUT LORE 



Mr. Blank's private trout spring. If he ever 

 suspected me he never intimated as much. 



If the reader wonders why I have taken time 

 to narrate the foregoing, I will only remind him, 

 "It is not all of fishing to fish." 



I presume that the color of this class of fish 

 is determined by the character of the soil and 

 water; at any rate, all my fishing for spring 

 trout has been done in springs found in dark, 

 mucky soil. The trout have been stockily built 

 and brilliantly colored, painted as they are, only 

 when found in such environment. A short fish 

 will weigh more than a third more than a fish 

 of the same length taken from swift-running 

 water. They are not so active on the hook as 

 are the rapid-water fish, fighting well below the 

 surface in a dogged, determined way. Of course 

 they lead a sober, sedate sort of life, never bat- 

 tling with the current as do their brothers of the 

 open ; taking whatever food Fate offers, and be- 

 ing thankful. They support my theory that the 

 character of a fish is largely determined by its 

 environment. 



As a rule I have found the trout dwelling 

 apart from their fellows to be bait fish, though 

 now and then they will rise to flies with avidity. 

 Just why this should be so I cannot say. Just 



