BROOK TROUT. 
91 
plenty of food it is a question to what size a trout might not attain. There are at least two 
natural conditions aside from those of environment just mentioned that probably affect trout. 
There is doubtless a natural size limit beyond which the trout could not go if it lived to be 200 
years old.” But even if there were no size limit the species doubtless has a more or less definite 
life tenure which would in any case limit its growth. 
The comparatively recent developments in the study of fish scales have shown that rarely , 
if ever, is a greater age than 10 years attained by the Atlantic salmon and probably not that; 
the lake trout of Scandinavia probably not over 12 years. Allowing then an average giowth 
of one pound a year as suggested by Mr. Page’s experiment the record fish would be only 122 
years old. It is quite probable that no trout lives over 12 or 15 years. 
In the American Angler, vol. 3, page 312, May 16, 1885, Seth Green had the following to 
say regarding the growth of Brook Trout: ** There are many questions concerning the growth 
of brook trout which I am frequently called upon to answ'er. I am w'ell aware of the fact that 
it is very difficult to answer these questions wdth any degree of positiveness, for the reason that 
these fish differ in size and growth in nearly every locality and then again the speckled trout 
which inhabit lakes are knowm to attain a larger growth than the speckled trout of the streams. 
Taking these two features into consideration a correct general reply would be impossible. 
“From careful measurements of brook trout from Caledonia Spring Creek I am enabled 
to give the following dimensions: 
“A brook or speckled trout when first hatched is nine-sixteenths of an inch long, at six 
months old two inches long, at one year old four and one-half inches long, at two years old 
six and one-half inches long, at three years old eight inches long, at four years old nine inches 
long, at five years old ten inches long, and at six years twelve inches long. After they have 
reached the age of six years their increase in length is usually very slow, but they are like old 
men, they increase in breadth and thickness. These measurements are a fair average, but fish 
are like people and animals; some grow faster than others under the same conditions and 
frequently a two-year-old trout wall be as large as a three-year-old. 
“Some waters are much better supplied wdth food than others and this regulates their 
growth more than any other one thing, but there is no question about there being large and 
small families of trout the same as there are large and small families of horses and cattle, and 
no matter how w'ell supplied with food or how favorable the conditions w'ere the small family 
would never equal the large in point of size. 
“ As a rule trout are found to grow in proportion to the size of the stream in which they 
are found. I have known of streams in which trout exceeding a half pound are very rarely 
caught and they would be considered as large for that stream as a pound trout would for another. 
Brook trout sent from this locality to Long Island waters will far putstrip those of the same 
brood remaining here. I attribute it to the food found there and also to the salt they get. 
