554 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



June, 1897; one of 10 in May, 1898; one of 10 in May, 1903; one of lo-j^ July 30, 1907, 

 by Capt. S. Z. H. Slocum, U. S. Army; and one of 10 in May, 1908. 



Of fish ranging from 9 pounds upward, but not including 10 pounds, there are rec- 

 ords of about 30, of which the largest was g^, caught in May, 1901. Two others 

 almost as large, 9^ each, were caught in September, 1S97, and June, 1906, respectively. 

 Nine of g}4 pounds each are mentioned as having been caught October, 1877 (for fish 

 culture); October, 1878 (for the same purpose); August, 1883; June, 1884; September, 

 1885; June, 1887; September, 1897; July, 1910; and May, 191 1. Five of g}4 pounds 

 each were taken, respectively, in October, 1873 (for fish culture); September, 1884; 

 September, 1885; April, 1896; and September, 1897. One stated to weigh over 9 

 pounds was recorded for May, 1890, taken on a fly at Upper Dam. One of g^ pounds 

 was taken for fish culture in October, 1878, and one of the same weight was caught in 

 September, 1892. Eleven or more of 9 pounds, taken at spawning time, have been 

 recorded. 



Over 60 weighing 8 pounds and over and less than 9 pounds are authentically 

 recorded, of which not more than a dozen were fish-cultural records. 



The foregoing reveals that of trout ranging from 8 pounds to iij^ or possibly 12 

 pounds not over 75 were recorded as caught by angling in open season in a period of 

 over 40 years. 



Trout as a game fish. — By many anglers the trout has always been regarded as 

 the paragon of game fishes. It is, however, due to an ensemble of attributes rather than 

 to any particular quality. In certain points it is far surpassed by other fishes. The 

 black bass in some ways requires more concentrated attention to effect its capture. In 

 point of activity there are several northern fishes that are equal to or excel the trout. 

 The fresh-water salmon will arouse more excitement by its evolutions and tactics, and 

 the whitefish, pound for pound, surpasses them all in every way. The bass, the salmon, 

 and the whitefish all are leapers. They leap when first hooked, and they usually con- 

 tinue to leap until free or wearied by excess of energy. The trout seldom leaps from 

 the water except when rising to a fly, and never more than once when hooked and not 

 often that once. Sometimes when first hooked in trolling the fish will go into the air, 

 then its action is one of dogged pulling and shaking. The writer has heard of but a few 

 instances of trout leaping after being hooked. Once the writer caught a 2-pound trout 

 on a small combination of spoon and fly, and when the trout struck and was hooked it 

 went out of the water. In one of the sportsmen's journals some one described the catch- 

 ing of a 7-pound trout in the Rangeley Lakes. It was stated that the fish jumped full 

 length in the air. At the time there was 100 feet of line out, and it took almost an hour 

 to land the fish. It was stated of the 9X-pound trout caught September i by Thomas 

 Barbour that it was taken on a white-tipped Montreal No. 2 fly with a 4^2 -ounce rod 

 and that "Mr. Barbour worked one and one-half hours from strike to finish before he 

 had the big fellow reduced to possession." 



There is, then, an inexpressible something in the trout besides activity or those 

 qualities which are usually regarded as gameness that makes it such a general favorite. 



Fishing places. — The fishing places are not the same for all times of the year. They 

 are also different for the different methods of angling and are affected by the height of 

 water. In the main, the enumeration by J. G. Rich holds good to the present day, 

 notwithstanding the many changes in physical conditions. However, some of the places 

 named by him are now closed to fishing. 



