Difference of Trout. 11 



the greatest difference. Some were marked with few but 

 large spots-; some with a greater number but still large ; 

 others with smaller spots and more sparse ; others again 

 had spots so thickly set that they almost touched each 

 other ; while some were red finned, some yellow ; and 

 some had yellow sides and bellies, and some white. 

 Whether these are distinct kinds of Trout I leave to the 

 learned in such matters to decide ; they certainly feed on 

 the same food and frequent the same haunts, therefore 

 neither the river nor the food can be regarded as the cause 

 of the above varieties of appearance. 



Some assert that " this is the only fish that spawns in 

 the cold months, viz. October and November, and that all 

 others spawn in the hot summer-months." How comes 

 it, then, if this be true, that they have been taken from 

 the Wear in every month, from April to November, with 

 roe in them ? And how is it that in this river they rise so 

 badly at the fly in July, except that they are performing 

 some functions of nature ? Perhaps some of my readers 

 can explain this, for I confess it is far beyond any eluci- 

 dation of mine. Undoubtedly the Trout of one river 

 differ much from those of another. For example, the 

 Trout taken from the Wharfe are, generally speaking, when 

 of large size, sparsely spotted or marked, hog-backed, and 

 very frequently pink-fleshed, while those from the lire, 

 above Wensley, are usually thickly spotted, deep coloured, 

 and mostly white fleshed. The Wear Trout are as varied 

 as before described, but commonly silvery and white- 

 fleshed. The Tees Trout, about High Force, are dark and 

 thickly spotted, rather long in proportion to their thickness, 

 and generally white-fleshed, with the exception of the 

 larger fish, which are sometimes of a pinkish cast. Trout 

 taken from waters strongly impregnated with peat or moss 

 are almost always dark, while those taken from clear streams 

 are, like the streams themselves, bright and light coloured. 



