BIG TROUT OF THE NEPIGON 



nuptial desire, which reveal themselves in the fiery 

 flushes of deepest crimson upon his shapely sides and 

 lower fins. The creamy white margins of the pectoral, 

 anal, and ventral fins distinctly mark the course of the 

 fish in the dark water, and form a striking contrast to 

 his olive-colored and vermiculated back and dorsal fin. 

 Here, he has caught the varying tints of the submerged 

 rocks, and of the forest-clad mountains which form the 

 basin of the lake, and in the brilliant brocade of his 

 spotted sides he reflects the gold of the setting sun, and 

 the purple sheen of the distant hills. The partner of 

 his spawning joys and sorrows lacks much of his flaming 

 indication of sexual ambition, but is shapely and jewel- 

 bedecked and beautiful beyond compare. If even Sol- 

 omon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these 

 richly colored spawning males, the female fish, with the 

 brilliant silver of its burnished sides, marked with 

 orange and purple spots — their centres often dotted with 

 crimson — is the very embodiment of grace and beauty. 



Unlike some of the fickle fair amongst the fishes of 

 Oppian's Halieutics, the big trout of these northern 

 lakes are always found in couples upon the spawning- 

 beds, and so closely attendant are they upon each 

 other's movements, that the spouse of a hooked fish 

 may often be seen swimming around the struggling 

 captive, as though anxious to aid it to be free, and has 

 sometimes been taken in the same landing-net. 



During the latter half of August and the whole of 

 September, these large fish rise very freely to ordinary 

 29 



