THE TROUT 



291 



niornin;; until after twilij^ht in those 

 hundietl yards of the stream. Vet iit 

 night this length will be ringed from 

 end to end by rising Trout. During low 

 water periods, many Trout travel to the 

 deeper j^ools of the rivers, and those that 

 remain in the shallows disco\-er unsus- 

 ])ected hiding-places. They lie beneath 

 l)ig stones, in patches of weeds, and 

 under the projecting ledges of the banks, 

 or refuse to leave the broken waters of 

 " runs," where their detection by the 

 eye of enemies is difficult. 



When a downpour of rain l)rings stained 

 water into the stream. Trout are less 

 wary and suspicious. The prospect of 

 liberal fare brings them out of their 

 lurking-places, and they distribute them- 

 sehxs in most parts of the river. If the 

 spate, or flood, is high and the stream 

 much swollen. Trout resort to the l<jng 

 pools, and congregate in the bays and 



A MOUNTAIN STREAM. 



in Cumberland, or in some mountain 

 rivulets of Wales and Ireland. 



One of Nature's means of protection 

 for all animals, including fish, is the 

 adaptation of their colour to the surround- 

 ings of their habitat. In some ri\-ers 

 there is a very distinct difference in the 

 shade and spots of the Trout that frequent 

 particular reaches. Where the river has 

 a sandy, golden bed, the Trout are light 

 in hue. In the deep pools of green 

 water, the fish have a greenish tint on 

 the back ; while in the peat-stained lengths 

 of the higher waters the Trout are dark. 

 This adaptation is so cunning that only 

 the well-trained eye of the fisherman can 

 detect the Trout amid their surround- 

 ings, and even the most obser\-ant ol 

 anglers fails to see scores of the fish on a 

 clear, rippling shallow. 



The instinct of concealment is very 

 strong in Trout, and their cautiousness 

 increases with their age. It is a myster\' 

 where big Trout hide themselves when a 

 river is low after a long spell of drought. 

 Kot a fish can be seen from six in the 



A KIVEK FOOL. 



