Jan. 25, 1913 
FOREST AND STREAM 
111 
sion. A salmon or sea trout hooked and landed 
by an unlicensed angler is to be immediately re¬ 
turned to the v/ater. Penalty in these cases is 
not less than £2 plus costs. This salmon rod 
license is unknown in England or Scotland, but 
no license is required with us for trout (Salmo 
fario), which is the one non-migratory fish we 
have in this country and of which we are natu¬ 
rally very proud indeed. This common or brown 
trout is tlie special glory of our Irish lakes and 
streams, a fish of unrivaled culinary excellence, 
a bold yet cautious riser, fierce and powerful in 
battle, beautiful to the eye in color, shape and 
movement, and attaining in large waters and 
where food is plentiful a great size. No fish 
perhaps shows such individual differences in 
color, markings and shape as trout, and al¬ 
though there is never any mistaking the species, 
so pronounced are the contrasts presented occas¬ 
ionally that not a few ichthyologists have insisted 
on enumerating varieties to the number of a 
dozen or more. But this was found to be out 
of the question in practice, for in some of our 
rivers it is often difficult out of a dozen fish 
for the angler to find even a brace identical in 
shape and marking. The feeding habits of the 
fish, depth, nature of the bottom and other char¬ 
acteristics of this place frequented by them, 
prevalence of shade or shine, and endless other 
features have been offered in explanation of this, 
and there doubtless is something in them, but 
the interesting point of the situation is that 
trout in this country at least differ from each 
other in the most remarkable manner very often, 
though still possessing the well-marked features 
of the race in a way there is no mistaking. Pass¬ 
ing over minor differences our native trout are 
either silver or golden, and to one of these two 
classes every trout of a pound or so in weight 
and upward may be at a glance referred. 
The former fish may be described as exactly 
resembling a well-conditioned and well-colored 
little salmon of his size with the addition of a 
more or less plentiful sprinkling of star-like 
small brown patches along the sides, especially 
about the pectoral and central regions. Vividly 
red spots are sometimes intermixed, also, but 
these seem to disappear with age. In lakes and 
large waters where these trout attain a size of 
from six or eight pounds to ten or twelve pounds 
or more, they are generally known as Perox, 
and their formidable teeth and other indications 
seem to show they are rather fiercely predatory 
in their nature. They are often white and some¬ 
what coarse in flesh, and do not improve with 
age, being as a rule best for the table when 
under two pounds or so in weight and before 
bad cannibalistic habits have time to develop. 
The golden fish on the other hand exhibits a 
brownish yellow flank, tends with time to alder- 
manic proportions, is curdy and salmon colored 
in flesh, which is of a rich delicious flavor even 
in fish of the largest size. As a fighter he is 
high-mettled and fierce, but his bolt is soon shot 
where he has been living too well, and after a 
few heavy rushes he is quickly blown and pres¬ 
ently surrenders at discretion. Up to three or 
four pounds in weight, however, he often ex¬ 
hibits a youthful vigor and obstinacy, which 
leave nothing to be desired, and so puts up a 
splendid fight. This trout was known to the 
old Irish by a name which meant “red fellow” 
or “red lad” (ghillie rua") and it is still known 
in many places as the “gillaroo” trout. As this 
fish is to some extent red both inside and out¬ 
side, the true origin of its name is obviously 
a matter of some dispute, and we shall not here 
attempt to settle it. But this is not the only 
difficulty the case presents. The trout is pro¬ 
vided with a gizzard-like stomach, it appears, 
and so not a few anglers now stoutly hold that 
the gillaroo is simply the trout with the gizzard, 
and that philology has nothing to say in the 
matter.. 
Now, gizzard and gillaroo have certainly no 
more to do with each other than monmouth and 
macedon, but still there is an unsuspected some¬ 
thing in it when we look closer. This fish is 
partial to a diet which includes fresh water 
shrimp, whelks and other aquatic “snails” of all 
kinds, and it is to enable it to crush and grind 
this crustacean food it is provided with, or, as 
we now put it, has developed a gizzard. And 
this crustacean food it is which makes the flesh 
of this trout red, so after all the gizzard and 
the name (gillaroo) have established a left- 
handed connection we cannot ignore. As a rule 
the names ferox and gillaroo are little used in 
this country. We speak of a big trout or lake 
trout or river trout and mean to imply no dif¬ 
ferences except merely those of size or habitat, 
and which have nothing essential or racial about 
them. As a matter of fact our trout, whether 
big or little, white or yellow, found in lake or 
river, is one, and no differences of which science 
can take cognizance as invariable really exist 
among them. All efforts to establish the like 
have failed, and trout are trout and nothing 
more. Such terms as white trout, salmon trout, 
are properly only applicable to sea trout (Salmo 
frutla), and even here hard and fast differen¬ 
tiation is not too certain, the migratory habit 
being the characteristic mainly relied on when 
a legal point is in question. 
Anatomical distinctions, even between sal¬ 
mon and trout themselves, are as good as hope¬ 
less. Few, if any, of our trout spawn in lakes, 
and it is a moot point at what age the offspring 
of the lake trout descend the tributary streams 
where they were hatched out and join their 
parents. Trout much exceeding in size any 
found in the lake are often taken in the river, 
but whether true river trout or not it is not 
easy to determine, and in many cases trout of 
a great size are found in rivers having no com¬ 
munication at all with lakes. 
Trout abound in the lakes and rivers of Ire¬ 
land. One hears on all sides that of late yeArs 
trout have been rapidly disappearing from our 
waters, and probably they are not as numerous 
as they were half a century ago, but for all that 
they are found in great numbers everywhere still, 
even the tiniest streams where in long drouths 
hardly a trickle of water is seen, scarcely ever 
being without them. Improvements in farm 
draining by lessening the permanent water area 
and volume, and the increase in the use of arti¬ 
ficial manures which probably introduces per¬ 
nicious soluble ingredients into the water, doubt¬ 
less have reduced the number of our trout, but 
be that as it may, it is difficult to find a stream¬ 
let anywhere in this country without trout, even 
if it hold nothing else. The tenacious vitality of 
the trout is one of the most striking things about 
this fine sporting fish. 
Forest and Stre.\m used to be “dad’s” 
paper; it is yours now. 
New York Anglers’ Club. 
The big pond at Hotel Navarre was full of 
big fish (stories) on Jan. 14, when the annual 
election and dinner of the New York Anglers’ 
Club was held there. It was a jolly gathering 
of New York’s best anglers-, each having dis¬ 
carded his creel for a "biled” shirt and his 
Duxback for an open front, as the casting was 
to be done from elbow instead of wrist. The 
tournament face gave way to an expression of 
eagerness to tell one just a little better. A well- 
stocked speakers’ table got a rise from a big 
one every time toastmaster Julius Seymour cast 
a dry quip into it. 
General Wingate, who has fished in many 
streams, told of his present occupation of fish¬ 
ing among anaemic school boys for athletes. Re¬ 
ports show how successful he has been. Dan 
Beard, no one can describe him, unless they say: 
‘‘Oh yes! Dan Beard ; well, he’s, well—he’s Dan 
Beard.” Anyhow, Dan boy-scouted a bit and 
told stories worth while. And what more appro¬ 
priate at a fisherman's dinner than a rising toast. 
This they gave to Sir Daniel. 
Ex-President Lamison, who retired with as 
much grace as with which he casts, said a few— 
very few—words about bait, fly or fly bait, and let 
it go at that. President-elect Hardy introduced 
Speaker Seymour eloquently, and another year 
comes with more joy to the New York Anglers’ 
Club. The officers follow: President, William 
H. Hardy; Vice-President, Harrison Elliott; 
Secretary, A. B. Hubbell; Treasurer, Harry 
Friedman; Directors, Harold G. Plenderson, 
John L. Kirk, G. M. L. LaBranche, J. G. Lami¬ 
son, J. H. Seymour, Tobias A. Wright; Com¬ 
mittee on Admissions, A. R. Hanners, Chairman, 
Dr. B. W. Glover, Fergus Lamb, Henry Mesa, 
George W. Yuengling; Committee on Nomina¬ 
tions, William H. Hardy, Chairman, Harrison 
Elliott, John L. Kirk, J. G. Lamison; Tournament 
Committee, Dr. L. Gordon Fulton, Chairman. A. 
B. A. Bradley, Dr. R. Johnson Held, C. H. 
Higby, G. M. L. LaBranche, W. C. Metcalfe; 
Committee on Arrangements, E. H. Myers, 
Chairman, D. T. Abercrombie, Adolph Grant, 
Oscar T. Mackey, E. J. Mills, Dr. F. C. Raynor, 
William H. Zabriskie. 
Congratulatory. 
Boston, Mass., Jan. i .—Editor Forest and 
Stream: Congratulations upon the appearance 
of the Christmas number of Forest and Stream. 
I was particularly impressed by the flavor of the 
editorials. The author of “Still Hunter” is evi¬ 
dently a true lover of wild nature, a close ob¬ 
server and one of those to whom in truth “the 
trees talk and the waters sing.” 
I had a very enjoyable trip to the famous 
Dead River region again this fall, accompanied 
by Mr. Bean, of the Boston Post. We secured 
our full quota of deer, a bear, two foxes and 
the limit on partridges. 
Wishing you and yours a happy and pros¬ 
perous New Year, I am, etc., F. O. Price. 
Northampton, Mass., Dec. 28. — Editor 
Eorest and Stream: I thank you for your cor¬ 
dial Christmas letter with all its contents. I 
congratulate you on your success of increased 
percentage and the promise of what is yet to 
come. I keep physique as usual in my seventy- 
ninth. O. K. Charles Hallock. 
