66 ANGLING 



A fish of unusual size is one in perhaps twenty thousand, 

 and the number of intermediate grades of dimensions 

 is very small indeed. 



And, in. the last place, from a careful personal 

 observation of bright, clear rivers, in dry, hot seasons, 

 you will perceive that the trout are all about the same 

 size; and should you detect any rare instances of 

 difference among them in point of bulk, you will, 

 perhaps, be inclined to agree with us, that the very 

 diversity is strikingly confirmatory of the slow and 

 almost imperceptible growth of these interesting 

 fish. 



Trout congregate together, and keep up a regular 

 system of discipline and order among their tribes. This 

 is easily discernible in clear, bright streams during fine 

 sunny weather. You will sometimes see a dozen or dozen 

 and a half of trout arranged, according to their sizes, in 

 exact order. The largest of the troop take the lead, 

 and the others fall behind, two and two, or three and 

 three; the smaller fellows being always stationed at 

 the bottom of the ILue. "We have seen fish remain in 

 this position for many hours without moving a single 

 inch. If a little food be dropped in among the number, 

 the largest always claims, and is invariably allowed, the 

 privilege of first taking possession. 



All trout have their holds, or haunts, or places of 

 retreat. These are commonly some large stone, or 

 trunk of a tree, or old timbers about mills, or overhang- 

 ing rocks. Each fish has his regular track or portion 

 of water to range about in, and seldom trespasses 

 on the liberties of his neighbours. If one of these 

 sections or divisions of water becomes vacant, it is soon 

 filled up by a new occupant. These habits and facts 

 respecting the trout were noticed two hundred 

 years ago by Giovanni Villifranci, in a work pub- 

 lished at Venice, in 1614, called L'Armaranto Favola 

 Piscatoria. 



Trout will remain for some weeks in precisely the 

 same spot. In the hot and dry summer of 1826 we 

 observed a large fish, about four pounds weight, which 



