CHAPTER XIII 



WESTERN TROUT-FISHING 



IF the rainbow-trout was first discovered or invented 

 in the inland waters of the North American continent, 

 as I believe to be the case, then it is certain that the 

 noble army of anglers the world over, in this respect 

 alone, owe a deep debt of gratitude to Christopher 

 Columbus. A gamer and more delightful variety of 

 Salmofario it is hard, if not impossible, to find. The 

 fish is beautiful in shape and colour. If the con- 

 ditions are fairly favourable, and he has not attained 

 aldermanic proportions by reason of age and a pro- 

 longed course of bottom feeding, the rainbow-trout 

 rises most freely to the fly. And, in addition to these 

 estimable qualities, when once hooked, he provides, 

 so far as my experience of him goes, the best possible 

 sport, and is often as much in the air as in the water 

 until landed. As a minor point, he is excellent eating. 

 Therefore are we trout- fisher men duly grateful to the 

 discoverer of the country that produced the rainbow- 

 trout. 



The curious part of it is that Nature appears to 

 have left much for the hand of man to accomplish in 

 respect to the distribution of this fine fresh-water 

 fish. 



267 



