ON THE FOOD OF FISH. 123 



twelve pounds. To take trout of five and six pounds 

 witli the fly, and to hook them of even larger size, is 

 not at aU uncommon. Last season (the summer of 

 '64), T took four fish in two evenings, which together 

 Weighed close upon seventeen pounds, and magnificent 

 fish they were. Yet the fish in the stream that feeds 

 the pool seldom get beyond two pounds, or there- 

 abouts, in weight ; of course there is a great deal of 

 food in the pool, mainly consisting of water-snails and 

 sticklebacks. Some years the fish run very freely 

 at the minnow, and do not notice the fly much, 

 but in other years the minnow is at a discount, 

 and the fly at a premium. I have never seen any 

 very large flies in the pool, yet the flies the fish 

 take are usually large palmers — ^like nothing, I 

 should think, which they can be in the habit of 

 seeing. This case differs entirely from any I have 

 remarked elsewhere, and it is to me as yet, I 

 confess, a piscatorial puzzle. A close analysis of 

 the contents of the pond, as concerns insects and 

 weeds, would no doubt throw some light on this 

 interesting fact, which I hope some day to be able 

 to make, as it appears to combine the best sport 

 and the largest fish — which is precisely the point 

 we desire to arrive at. 

 It cannot be doubted that the condition and size of 



