ARTIFICIAL PROPAGATION OF THE RAINBOW TROUT. 
255 
[From Livingston Stone, superintendent of United States Fisb Commission Station, Baird, Cal., December 27, 1895.] 
Here in the McCloud River the rainbows spawn from February to May, inclusive, and in con- 
finement the spawning season seems to begin a month earlier than in the river. They have no 
average size, strictly speaking, as they are found here of sizes up to and slightly exceeding 10 pounds 
in weight. They are found in most mountain streams about here, and are usually quite abundant 
where they occur at all and have not been fished out. They rank well u[) as a game fish, but as a pan 
fish they are veiy much inferior to fontinalis, though when properly cooked they are very palatable. 
The temperature of the McCloud varies from about 38° at this season to 63° in duly. The fly fishing 
is best in the spring and early summer in this part of the river. 
[From M. C. Toms, Hendersonville, N. C., February 6, 1896.] 
About ten years ago a small lot of young fish were placed in Green River in this county, of which 
nothing was known until two years afterwards, and we supposed they were lost, but after two years 
you could occasionally hear of one being caught. A year after this a friend of mine and myself rigged 
up our rods and started for this beautiful stream. We soon had our tackle in good trim and were 
casting our hooks far down the stream, when, to my surprise, I found that one had my hook and ivas 
making off with it. It was fine sport to reel him up the swift water, and I found it to be a 3-pounder, 
glowing in the sun, with his beautiful rainbow colors. No fish could look gamer. They are doing 
well and the river is well stocked with the little ones. If our laws were more strict we would have 
plenty of these beauties. Through the Fish Commissioner at Washington I have stocked several 
other streams, but they have not as yet had time to show what they will do. I regard the rainbow 
as a good biter, but not as good a puller as the brook trout. 
The work of stocking these streams by the Government is a step in the right direction, and will 
be a great source of food and pleasure for the future. One thousand yearling fish were x)lanted in 
Green River from Wytheville Station by myself on February 1, 1888. 
[From J. D. Pliipps, Longs Gap, Grayson Co., Va., December 30, 1895.] 
I will say in reference to the fish dejmsited in our stream. Peach Bottom Creek, that they have 
grown and propagated as fast as any fish I ever saw; in fact much faster than the mountain trout. 
We posted the stream and allowed no fishing for four years. Now our stream is full of the finest trout. 
I have caught them 22 inches long. Their flavor is fine, and they are the most gamy fish I ever saw. 
Their rapid increase has kept the stream well supplied ever since. 
[From F. U. Clark, superintendent of United States Fisb Commission Station, Rortbville, Midi., J anuary 23, 1896.] 
The Au Salde River was first planted with rainbow trout about 17 or 18 years ago, I think, from 
eggs forwarded from the collecting station in California to the Michigan Fish Commission, hatched at 
their hatchery, and jilanted by them. Since that time there have been several plants made at different 
times, but not in large numbers. The success of this river is probably the most marked of any of 
the rivers of Michigan where rainbow trout have been planted. In certain jiortious of the river 
large rainbows are taken with hook and line, often weighing i'rom 5 to 7 [lounds, and in our net 
fishing for brook trout during October, 1895, the trout caught would run about one- third rainbow ; in 
addition to this we would catch from 100 to 1,000 last spring’s hatch, and they would run a larger 
number rainbow than brook trout. The rainbow caught in the Au Sable are considered by sportsmen 
as more gamy than either the brook trout or graylings, and it requires heavier tackle for this fish than 
for a brook trout of equal weight. Rainbow trout are also taken quite frequently with hook and line 
in Pere Marquette River, also the branches of that stream. 
[From E. W. Eequa, of the California State Fisb Commission, Sisson, Cal., January 31, 1895.] 
The waters of this State are well stocked with the different species of trout, and the fishermen 
all agree that the rainbow is the king of trout, its game qualities being greater than the others. The 
only 6xcep)tion to this statement is the Salmo mi/ldss of Webber Lake, Sierra County, which is noted 
for its game qualities. As a food-fish the rainbow is far superior to any of the trouts found in the 
mountain streams of this State. Those in the headwaters of streams usually have white flesh, while 
in those found near tide water the pink color is found. The feeding-grounds are a great factor in 
making up the color and flavor. Much has been said and written as to the size of the rainbow 
trout of California, and I find that the reports do not agree. At our spawning station on the Klamath 
River, in Siskiyou County, we found the average size to be as follows: First run, 5 pounds; second 
