570 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



increase in number of anglers, for the number of fish might thereby appear to be main- 

 tained or increased, and while there might be an actual decrease in average weight of 

 the fish caught, it would not appear if the standard of size were strictly regarded in 

 the records. 



Inasmuch as all extraordinarily large fish were probably recorded and more than 

 likely published, the records as concerns numbers of such fish may be fairly depended 

 upon, although the exact weights as recorded, for proverbial reasons, may not always 

 be regarded as authentic. However, the stated records, if not an obvious distortion 

 or consistently reducible to approximate fact, must be accepted. 



In 1894, regarding the average weight of Rangeley Lakes trout, Mr. Rich wrote 

 that probably they averaged larger than from any other waters. He stated that he 

 would estimate the average weight caught in the lakes, not including outlying ponds, 

 at a pound, and he further stated that of late years he had kept no record, but did until 

 some 15 years previous, when he had a record of over 6,000 trout, which averaged 

 nearly a pound and a quarter. 



In the records of weight, as in those of numbers, the greatest fluctuations occurred 

 prior to 1890, and it is quite evident that the fluctuations were due to irregularity of 

 the weights and numbers of fish recorded and the frequent absence or disregard of 

 standard size. There is a decrease in the number of fish composing the high records, 

 and from about 1900 there is a gradual increase in the numbers composing the low 

 records, due to a tendency to greater regularity. These tendencies are manifested in 

 all three of the classes of fish discussed; that is, all sizes, 2 pounds and over, and 8 

 pounds and over. 



The previouslv mentioned tendency to fluctuation and the general trend of the 

 whole period from 1873 to 1914, comprising 42 years, may be indicated by arranging 

 the figures for the individual years in 13 groups of six years each, overlapping three 

 years each. In the following table and diagrams this has been done for the three dasses 

 of trout discussed. This arrangement shows considerable fluctuation in the number of 

 fish but to some extent levels the average weights in respect to all fish. The largest 

 numbers were recorded in the first, fourth, third, and last periods, in the order named. 

 Therefore, while there was some falling off from the first to the last period, there was a 

 large increase from the fifth period. There was a large increase in average weight 

 from the first period, the largest average being in the second period. In the last some 

 decrease is shown. However, from the fifth period the fluctuations are all in the 

 fractions of a pound over 3 pounds, and the average of the fifth and last is essentially 

 the same, representing the extremes of 30 years. 



In the case of fish of 2 pounds and over, the fluctuation is much greater than in 

 the other instance both in number and average weight. A tremendous gain is shown 

 in the last period over the first, the number being the largest of all the periods. The 

 average weight in the last period is the lowest of all the periods, the highest being in 

 the second. The average weight is constantly higher in the first seven periods than in 

 any of the subsequent six periods, representing 24 and 18 years, respectively. 



The numbers of fish of 8 pounds and over show a very heavy falling off from the 

 first to the last period, but the fluctuations are great, the twelfth period yielding more 

 fish than the first, and the largest number being in the first period while the smallest 



