BEST SEASON FOR TEOUT. 21 



looking fly or bait to pass, whereas the other cannot. 

 In rivers much fished, trout, although sometimes 

 numerous, become very shy ; seeing artificial flies 

 so often, and being deceived by them, they detect 

 their nature, thus showing that they are, to some 

 extent, possessed of memory. 



The only point relating to trout in an angling 

 point of view which remains to be considered, is 

 the season when they are in condition. Generally 

 speaking, they are in condition from the middle 01 

 April to the middle of September, but this entirely 

 depends upon the nature of the river and season. 

 They are never in condition till they get abundance 

 of insect food. The supply of this keeps pace with 

 the vegetation on the river's banks, and if the season 

 is advanced, trout, in streams which flow through 

 an early district of country, are quite fit for the table 

 by the beginning of April ; if the season is back- 

 ward, they may be fully a month later of coming 

 into condition. In all streams trout are in their 

 best condition when the May-flies are just done, 

 which is generally about the end of June. They 

 continue in condition all July, but subsequently 

 begin to fall off those that are red-fleshed losing 

 their colour, and all kinds becoming pale and soft ; 

 and by the end of September or beginning of October 

 are quite full of spawn and hardly worth capturing. 

 It requires very little experience to tell whether or 

 not a trout is in condition ; the small head in pro- 

 portion to the body, and the breadth and thickness 



