104* THE COMPLETE ANGLEK. 



described, and the best signalement must be sought for in the rays of his 

 tins. I have seen trout of the very same species, nay, probably, of the 

 same brood, differing much in colour; some dark, some bright, and 

 some yellow. Colour depends on depth of water. In deep and shaded 

 waters, yellow and dark-coloured trout will be found ; in shallow waters, 

 bright ones. The chemical properties of light are the cause. The sun's rays 

 can penetrate and oxygenate the shallow exposed streams, and hence the 

 brightness of the fish resident there. Light is wanting in the deep and 

 shaded waters, and hence the darkness in the colour of its denizens. 

 The general habits of the common trout are well enough known. Its 

 food are worms, small fish, larva, grubs, caterpillars, flies, etc. On ilies 

 it thrives best, next on fish, and worst of all on worms. Very large 

 fish thrive best on fish-food. It breeds in September, October, and 

 November, rarely earlier, but sometimes later. What is called the 

 " throng" breeding season depends upon temperature upon season and 

 locality. The trout of England breed earlier than those of the North 

 of Scotland. They breed in the shallows at the heads of rivers, and in 

 the smallest rivulets. Male and female assist each other in excavating 

 in the sand and gravel a bed, or nest for their spawn. The female first 

 deposits her ova, or eggs, and then the male sheds his milt over them, and 

 to impregnates them. The fish then covers over with sand and gravel 

 the deposited and impregnated ova. In about fifty days, on an average, 

 they are hatched, but perfect incubation may, in a cold climate, or in a 

 very severe winter, require thirty days longer. The growth of trout is 

 not precisely ascertained. It is not possible to do so. They differ so 

 much in size, though of the same species, in different rivers, that it is 

 extremely difficult to strike an average. Guessing, I should say that 

 the common river trout averages about one pound in two years. I 

 think (many will think me mad for doing so) that the sea-trout, the bull- 

 trout, and many other varieties, are crosses of ancient date between the 

 common trout and the pure salmon. I think also, that these crosses 

 inter-generate, if I may u?e the word, and hence a vast variety of river- 

 trout. Of lake-trout, bred in lakes not connected with salmon rivers, 

 I have little to say. Every such lake has its particular trout; some 

 small, some large, some handsome, some ugly, some well-flavoured, 

 some ill-flavoured, all which conditions are the results of the volume and 

 depth of water, its temperature, and the quantity and quality of the food 

 it affords. It is only in very large lakes that the immense grey lake- 

 trout, or fsalmoferox, is found. In my remarks on the salmon, at the 

 end of the seventh chapter, I'll show how trout and that fish are bred 

 artificially. 



If I fished for trout with the worm, I should never use a float, but put 

 a few shot on my line, increasing or diminishing the number according 

 to the strength or weakness of the current. I should have a swivel on 

 the gut foot-line, about two feet from the hook, and I should fish close to 

 the bottom, allowing the worm to move on with the current more slowly 

 than the stream where it is rapid. Two middle-sized worms on the hook 

 at the same time are better than one, and the best worms are brandlings 

 and blue-heads. The most deadly way of fishing for trout is by 



