THE OREGON SPORTSMAN 



HIS HABITAT. 



Naturalists derive thirteen varieties from the parent stock, inhabiting 

 all coast streams from southeastern Alaska to northern California, and 

 eastward to the headwaters of the Columbia and Eio Grande. Some mem- 

 bers of this family have even crossed the Eocky mountains and inhabit 

 the high tributaries of the Missouri. How the trout crossed the mountains 

 is too long a story for this brief article. 



A Native Son Angling- in the McXenzie 



The Cutthroat seems to be most abundant on the west side of the 

 Cascades and Sierras. In western Willamette tributaries and coast rivers 

 it is the only trout save the Steelhead and the Mason's trout. The latter 

 is not found west of the Coast range, in my experience. 



Many of the lakes high in the Cascades, Blue mountains and Sierras 

 also are peopled by this fish, and in some lakes nearer sea level it grows 

 to very large size. Old millponds on streams of the Willamette valley and 

 westward are usually stocked with Cutthroat of a pound weight and more 

 in large numbers, but from such ponds they are mostly caught with bait. 

 When the water is ruffled by a breeze on a warm afternoon, they will 

 frequently take the fly handsomely. 



TRAITS OF THE CUTTHROAT. 



Some of his characteristics are sufficiently distinct to make it a simple 

 matter to recognize the Clarkii. Head length (as compared to the total 

 length) is one of the permanent anatomical indications. Its length is con- 

 tained a little less than four times in the length of the body; or its head 

 is a little more than one-fifth of its entire length. This is about one-sixth 

 greater than that of Rainbow, Steelhead or Mason's trout or western Ore- 

 gon brook trout (if there is any such fish), as some of our great and 



Pag-e six 



