81 



natural state trout feed upon insects of all descriptions 

 ■which abound in or near the water ; worms ot all sorts, 

 from the angle worm to the caterpillar, which the wind 

 shakes from the trees bordering the stream into the water, 

 are eagerly taken. Flies ot every kind which either drop 

 down upon the surface of the water to lay their eggs, or 

 may happen to fall into it, are quickly devoured. Young 

 fish which may be in the stream serve for food ; 

 so do the grasshoppers and beetles which fall into 

 the water, and even the crawfish is not spared. If any 

 one will examine the bottom of a good trout stream care- 

 fiiUy, he will find every stick, stone and bunch ot moss in 

 it covered and filled with insects ot various kinds. If 

 you look at the bottom ot the creek, also, when it is free 

 from moss and sticks, you will see that in the summer 

 time it presents a curious mottled appearance, as if it were 

 having an eruption of some kind ; these protuberances 

 are caused b^' the larvae of water flies, which, after a time, 

 rise to the surface, and then breaking their shell or case, 

 for the first time, spread their wings and fly away. On 

 these before they have assumed the fly-state, the trout 

 feed ; and the eggs of water flies, together with minute 

 insects and worms are the special food of the very young 

 trout. 



Fish of any kind are a very good food for trout. If 

 they are small they maybe put into the water whole, the 

 trout will take them all the better if they are alive. 

 Any coarse fish which can be obtained cheaply and in 

 sufficient quantities may be chopped up fine and used as 

 food. As we said before, they will not eat carrion unless 

 pressed by hunger. They will eat a live trout, but we 

 have never known an instance of their eating, or everii 

 touching a dead one. If any way could be devised of 

 raising flies, or shrimp, or various kinds of insects (their > 



