THE BROOK TROUT 



399 



Drawn by W. L. Steward. 



THE BROOK TROUT. 



Deep-Water Fishing for Lalie Trout. — 



"The Siscowet of Lake Superior is taken by the 

 commercial fishermen in very deep water, the 

 nets being lifted by steam power. The nets are 

 set well out toward the centre of the lake, at 

 depths frequently as great as 500 feet. About 

 forty nets, each over 600 feet long, are set in 

 one 'gang,' constituting practically a single gill 

 net considerably over four miles in length. 

 Each end of each gang is buoyed. 



"The average steam fishing-boat attends to 

 five gangs of nets, lifting one each day. Each 

 gang, therefore, remains in the water five days 

 before it is lifted. As the net comes up around 

 the steam windlass forward, it is passed aft and 

 immediately reset by being paid out over the 

 stern by two members of the crew. The nets are 

 about eight feet wide, and the mesh is 4+ inches. 



"The largest Lake Trout I observed on the 

 Cvrrie was 2 feet 10 inches long, and its weight 

 was 21 pounds. The average length of the 

 fishes taken during my inspection was less than 

 2 feet." (Charles H. Townsend.) 



The Brook Trout, or Specified Trout, and 



its group. — Concerning this beautiful and high- 

 spirited creature, so much has been written it 

 would now seem that there is nothing untold. 

 But this is a very wide country ; and I ween that 

 in the real West there may be a million of good 

 citizens who are strangers yet to Sal-ve-W nus 

 jon-ti-nal'is. 



After all has been said, I think it must be con- 

 ceded that this is the most beautiful of all our 

 game fishes. Its back and dorsal fins are ele- 

 gantly marbled, its .sides have about fifteen or 

 twenty crim.son and black spots, and its pec- 

 toral, ventral and anal fins are bright crimson, 

 edged in front with white. Its general ground 

 color down to the latitude of the pectoral fin is 

 dark olive, below that comes sunset pink, and 

 underneath all is the silver white of the belly. 



Along with its beauty, agility, and general 

 gaminess, this fish makes its home in the most 

 picturesque and beautiful streams its range 

 affords. Its ideal haunt is a deep, clear pool at 

 the foot of a picturesque rush of water over 

 mossy bowlders. Usually this forest jewel is 

 delightfully set in the foliage of overhanging 



