STOCKING 405 



bility of discovering them by persuading them to take 

 fly or any other bait, and the failure to find their dead 

 bodies combine to make the question of rainbow trout 

 in lakes a puzzle and even a mystery. Upon these 

 points, however, we require more actual evidence than 

 has yet been forthcoming. At Blagdon and similar lakes 

 and reservoirs rainbow trout grow to a great average size 

 and are highly esteemed, but when turned into a river 

 they soon disappear, and as far as I can ascertain, have 

 not in this country been known to return from the sea 

 to the river in which they had passed their earlier days. 



I tried an experiment with a comparatively small 

 number in the Test. Some five or six were taken on 

 pike-trimmers, and three rose to and were killed with 

 floating fly soon after they had been turned in. This 

 was, of course, in a stream where their desire to go to 

 the sea could not be restrained, and the next season 

 every one had disappeared. 



I do not think they would be of any great benefit to 

 our chalk-streams because from their having, in my 

 limited experience, so often fallen victims to a live 

 bait on a trimmer, I take it that they have strongly 

 marked cannibalistic tendencies. My friend Corrie 

 concurs in what I have just said, and adds : "My idea 

 is that Rainbows deteriorate quickly under the normal 

 conditions they meet with in this country (I mean the 

 strain or breed deteriorates, and this, in my opinion, 

 is very often due to lack of suitable surroundings 

 for the breeding-fish), and unless a fish-farmer has 

 exceptional opportunities for raising Rainbows he 



