A STUDY ON TROUT AND YOUNG SALMON. 309 



„the young"' and there are, in the great majority of cases, no 

 means of distinguishing the two forms at these sizes. Thus it is 

 clear, that the young of sea-trout may easily be caught and 

 offered for sale as freshwater-trout. To prevent the sale of 

 freshwater-trout under 20 cm. would be unjust, as countless 

 smaller lakes, tarns, rivers and brooks in our country possess 

 trout, the majority of which do not exceed a length of 20 cm. 



The fish of these waters would thus be rendered entirely 

 valueless. If however the limit is lowered to 15 cm., presu- 

 mably all inconvenience would be avoided. I should recommend 

 that this be done, as I am strongly of the opinion that a future 

 law ought to contain a regulation tending to prevent the sale 

 of trout under a certain length. 



It is to me evident, that this lowering of the present 

 size limit, 21 cm. to 15 cm., would not produce any effect on 

 the economy of the sea-trout. As I will show later on, trout 

 under 20 cm. are of no importance in the catches made in 

 the sea, and in the sea the real fishing for sea-trout will 

 have to be carried out. And even if smaller fishes than 20 cm. 

 were caught to the same extent as larger stages, clearly a 

 lowering of the size limit by only 5 or 6 cm., will only make 

 the fishes liable to be fished 2 or IV2 months sooner than would 

 have been the case if the limit was fixed at 20 cm. This fact 

 may be directly realised from my tables on trout. It will be 

 seen that a fish which in May is 15 cm. long, in August 

 is about 25. Thus about IV2 summer months will suffice for 

 a trout of 15 cm. to pass by growth the size limit if this is 

 fixed at 20 cm. 



The insignificant loss in weight which the catch of trout 

 in the sea would thus be liable to, niay in my opinion be con- 

 sidered as counter-balanced by the above-mentioned advantages 

 to the freshwater fisheries and by the benefit of a regulation, 

 the observance of which may be controlled. 



