350 TROUT AND ANGLING 



and nothing can exceed their piscatory symmetry. 

 The general appearance of the skin is of a silvery 

 brightness ' 7 the back being of a greenish and 

 mackerel complexion ; the spots of a vermilion 

 color, mixed with others of a faint yellow, and 

 sometimes slightly tinged with purple, extend the 

 whole length on each side of the lateral line ; the 

 fins are light in color, firm in texture, and together 

 with the tail are rather shorter and more rounded 

 than in the common trout ; they have a firm com- 

 pactness of form from head to tail, which accounts 

 for the superior sprightliness of their motions ; 

 the head and the mouth are very small, and the 

 latter never black inside like the common or fresh 

 water trout ; the flesh is even redder — or rather, 

 we should say, more pink-colored than the sal- 

 mon, to which by many, they are preferred as a 

 delicacy, having, like the salmon, much of what 

 is called the curd or fat between the flakes. 



A fish of a pound weight, measures about eleven 

 inches in length. Their average size is consider- 

 ably larger than the fresh water or brook trout — 

 having been taken in the waters to which we re- 

 fer, of nearly five pounds weight. Such instances 

 however, are rare, three pounds being considered a 

 very large fish. We may here remark respecting 

 their size, that it is considered ve^ good luck when 

 after a day's fishing ten or a dozen will average a 



