THE BROOK TROUT 
399 
Drawn by W. L. Steward. 
THE BROOK TROUT. 
Deep-Water Fishing for Lake Trout. — 
“The Siscowet of Lake Superior is taken by the 
commercial fishermen in very deep water, the 
nets being lifted by steam power. The nets are 
set well out toward the centre of the lake, at 
depths frequently as great as 500 feet. About 
forty nets, each over 600 feet long, are set in 
one ‘ gang, ’ constituting practically a single gill 
net considerably over four miles in length. 
Each end of each gang is buoyed. 
“The average steam fishing-boat attends to 
five gangs of nets, lifting one each day. Each 
gang, therefore, remains in the water five days 
before it is lifted. As the net comes up around 
the steam windlass forward, it is passed aft and 
immediately reset by being paid out over the 
stern by two members of the crew. The nets are 
about eight feet wide, and the mesh is 4 J inches. 
“The largest Lake Trout I observed on the 
Currie was 2 feet 10 inches long, and its weight 
was 21 pounds. The average length of the 
fishes taken during my inspection was less than 
2 feet.” (Charles H. Townsend.) 
The Brook Trout, or Speckled Trout, and 
its group. — Concerning this beautiful and high- 
spirited creature, so much has been written it 
would now seem that there is nothing untold. 
But this is a very wide country ; and I ween that 
in the real West there may be a million of good 
citizens who are strangers yet to Sal-ve-li'nus 
fon-ti-nal'is. 
After all has been said, I think it must be con- 
ceded that this is the most beautiful of all our 
game fishes. Its back and dorsal fins are ele- 
gantly marbled, its sides have about fifteen or 
twenty crimson and black spots, and its pec- 
toral, ventral and anal fins are bright crimson, 
edged in front with white. Its general ground 
color down to the latitude of the pectoral fin is 
dark olive, below that comes sunset pink, and 
underneath all is the silver white of the belly. 
Along with its beauty, agility, and general 
gaminess, this fish makes its home in the most 
picturesque and beautiful streams its range 
affords. Its ideal haunt is a deep, clear pool at 
the foot of a picturesque rush of water over 
mossy bowlders. Usually this forest jewel is 
delightfully set in the foliage of overhanging 
