A NEW ENGLAND TROUT PRESERVE. 



H. W. 



To anyone interested in trout culture a 

 visit to the Blue Hills Trout Preserve, near 

 Meriden, Conn., must prove deeply inter- 

 esting. 



Meriden is but 2^4 hours' ride from New- 

 York, and is a charming New England 

 city, nestled among the famous " hanging 

 hills." 



The basin is so small and apparently so 

 wild, that one is tempted to believe himself 

 many miles from civilization. 



The Blue Hills Trout Preserve Co. was 

 formed about a year ago, by a few gentle- 

 men of Meriden, New Britain and Berlin, 

 for the purpose of raising trout and of mak- 

 ing a desirable place for fly and bait fish- 



BLUE HILLS TROUT PRESERVE. ONE OF THE BREEDING POOLS. 



Arriving at the station we drove North- 

 west over a pleasant wooded road which, 

 at every turn, presents a charming view to 

 the traveller. We wound through a notch 

 in the mountain known as " cathole pass," 

 and turned round the rock which forms 

 what is called " Washington's face." Then 

 turning to the right and following the 

 winding road a short distance, we de- 

 scended into a pretty little valley, shut in on 

 all sides by hills, and seeming to have been 

 especially designed for the purpose to 

 which it has been put. 



Here is a cluster of springs and the gen- 

 erous flow of cold water remains at the 

 same temperature during the entire year. 



ing. 

 far. 



They have succeeded admirably thus 



When the ponds shall have been com- 

 pleted, by the construction of necessary 

 dams, and stocked with trout from the now 

 well filled pools this will certainly be a de- 

 lightful resort for the fly fisherman. 



Early in the present year about 350,000 

 trout eggs were placed in the hatchery and 

 soon began to hatch out. This stage of the 

 trout's life is the most interesting and deli- 

 cate of all. The little fellow is almost trans- 

 parent, when he comes from the egg, and 

 is about half an inch long. He has a large 

 sac attached to him, of about twice his own 

 size, from which he derives his nourishment 



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