150 GUN, BOD, AND SADDLE. 



three lateral lines of large brilliant red spots, inter- 

 spersed with minor straw-colored ones, and in some 

 specimens the anal and pectoral fins had the first two 

 or three spines black. Altogether in shape and 

 coloring a more game-looking, beautiful fish can not 

 be imagined ; moreover, their table qualities sur- 

 passed in delicacy of flavor any fish I have ever eaten, 

 for the bright red flesh had a delicate nutty flavor 

 indescribable, and, I fear, scarcely imaginable. Our 

 guide, who was also cook and master of camp, used 

 to fry in cream the smaller ones, and I doubt if ever 

 prince or epicure had a dish placed before him more 

 worthy of his palate. 



But having given what I know to be, more particu- 

 larly to the naturalist, a far from perfect description of 

 this handsome fish's peculiarities, its habits, as dif- 

 fering from the trout I have known, may have inter- 

 est. With the artificial fly they were not so readily 

 taken as with minnow or worm. When hooked I 

 never knew them to spring from the water, and the 

 quiet reach of the pool was invariably a more cer- 

 tain find than the brawling neck. After sunset I 

 never could succeed in capturing them, and the best 

 hours in the day were from sunrise till it commenced 

 to get warm, and the two hours preceding sunset. 



