REPORT OF STATE BOARD OF FISH COMMISSIONERS 103 



This species is abundant in Kern Lake and in the river for several 

 miles above the lake. It is probably common in the river for some 

 miles below the lake, but of this I have no personal knowledge, as we 

 did no collecting below the lake. As a rule, the fish taken from the 

 river are more deeply and brightly colored and decidedly more game 

 than those from the lake. During the spawning season early in the 

 spring the fish are found chiefly in the river, but after the spawning 

 has been completed they tend to run down into the lake, where they 

 become less active and less highly colored. The large examples which 

 we took in the lake were, as a rule, more slender than those from the 

 river, probably on account of the fact that those from the lake were 

 all spent fish. 



This species is said by Jordan and Evermann to reach a weight of 

 8 pounds, but I do not recall the authority upon which the statement 

 was based. The largest example seen by ns was the one upon which 

 the above description is based. It was 18.25 inches long and weighed 

 3.5 pounds. Several other examples 11 to 19.25 inches long were 

 caught by us. The largest individual of which I have a definite 

 record was caught in 1900 in the river above the lake 03^ Mr. E. D. 

 Cox and weighed by Mr. D. J. Cruice, both of Bakersfield, Cal. This 

 fish was 27.5 inches long and weighed 5 pounds 14 ounces. 



The Kern River trout is a beautiful fish, well built and symmetri- 

 cal, and very rich in coloration when in prime condition. As a game 

 fish it will stand easily among the best, but, as already stated, in the 

 river it greatly excels those of its kind in the lake. It usually takes 

 the fly quite freely, and will, of course, take all sorts of live or cut 

 bait. Members of our patty took these trout with the artificial fly, 

 with grasshoppers (which they greatly preferred), and with pieces of 

 fish or other meat. The large example painted was first tried with a 

 gray hackle, to which he rose once and then paid no more attention 

 to it. A larger, plain hook and a good-sized grasshopper were sub- 

 stituted, with better results. Scarcely had the lure touched the 

 water when he rose and struck most viciously, only to miss it, then 

 turn and strike again more viciously than before. This time the 

 hook caught inside the mouth just under the middle of the maxillary, 

 and then began a fight that would delight a better angler than I. He 

 first circled about in a wide curve, then jumped twice, clearing the 

 water beautifully each time; circled again, went to the bottom in 

 water 10 feet deep, came to the surface and jumped again, after 

 which no more leaps were made, but he continued dashing about until 

 finally brought to net. 



Another good-sized example (2 pounds) was taken July 19 at the 

 drift in the lower end of the lake. This fish was seen swimming slowly 

 down the lake at a depth of about 3 feet. A cast brought a rise at 



