CHAPTER IV 



KILLING DOWN THE TROUT'S ENEMIES 



The enemies of the trout are very numerous, and may 

 for convenience' sake be roughly classified here under 

 the headings of men, birds, otters, fish, and even 

 some larvae of insects. Of these the insect larvae 

 preying on trout are not numerous, nor are their 

 depredations of a very serious character. It is true 

 that many years ago an enthusiastic fishing friend 

 sent me a bottle containing a larva of the large water 

 beetle {Dytiscus marginalis) and a small trout. When 

 secured the unfortunate little trout was dead, and on 

 the lower side of its abdomen the voracious larva had 

 inflicted fatal wounds with its powerful mandibles. 

 Some authorities state that some of the larger caddis 

 attack and devour the trout ova and alevins, but the 

 evidence on this point is not, to my mind, altogether 

 conclusive. 



Unfortunately there is no possible doubt on the 

 score of man taking a pro- 

 Poachers, minent place in the list of the 



trout's enemies, and I hope 

 our humanitarian friends will not take exception to 

 the words " killing down " in the title of this chapter, 

 and try to brand me with the stigma of advocating 



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