240 THE 7" ROUT 



pound in weight before the end of the ensuing summer, 

 viz. when only 14 or 15 months old. 



As a sporting fish I do not think Irideus could be 

 surpassed. His boldness in rising to the fly and his 

 fighting mettle must be seen and felt to be fully realised 

 and appreciated. The limits of my own personal 

 experience do not at present enable me to speak 

 with certainty as to his suitability for streams ; but for 

 stocking lakes, ponds, and reservoirs I can recom- 

 mend him with great confidence. 



I have never known a case where rainbow trout 

 have on my recommendation been introduced with- 

 out giving unqualified satisfaction, and in several 

 cases 1 have myself had an opportunity of testing with 

 rod and fly their high sporting quality. 



As remarked in the last chapter, rainbow (and par- 

 ticularly the two-year-olds) are somewhat tender in 

 travelling, and they are found to require rather more 

 ' elbow room ' in the carriers than Fario ; but on the 

 other hand the possible range of temperature for their 

 habitat is wider, agfrd they have been known to grow 

 and flourish in waters which have not proved cool 

 enough for common trout. 



Admirers of Iridcns have not been able to claim 

 for him total exemption from the common frailty of 

 the Salmonidne family the propensity towards canni- 



