Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1885-12-19

on the morning air, re eehoing from
canyon to canyon sonnde5 strangely
sweet and meloaious.
y. is an excellent fisherman. but On
the trip I speak Of I caught almost
as many trout a5 he did, and all the
real big ones found their way to my
hook. ny companion like many an
other nnscientifc man thought there
We're at least four Or Eve species Of
trout found in the west. I told him
that even the big salmon trout Of the
Columbia River was the same as the
fish we were then catching. [ also in
formed him that tic Yellowstone
tout was the Same, too TEe could
not believe it. In fact, he mildly
suggested that I was telling a fish
story. Vel, said 7, will you believe
what ] tel you il you see it in black
and white in some good reliable work
Oh fishes. Eesaist be woal&; SO 7 pro-
daced the following extract which is
from Bulletin e Of lie United States
National Museum, Synopsis Of the
Fl hes Of North zAmo1ica, b. Jordan
and Gilbert. The scientific name IS
Salmo purpuratus-Pa1la5.
The common trout OF the Rocky
Mountains and Cascade region, {
b2aadins in allt;le streams Of Alaska,
Oregon and Washington Territory,
whore it descends TO salt water, and
reaches the weight Of 90 pounds;
Columbia river. Charles j. SMITH
also in the Yellowstone region, the
upper Missouri, the upper Rio
Grande, Colorado, and tic lakes Of
the Great Basin Of being
abundant in Utah Lake. They are
not common south OF Mount Shasta
in California. This specie IS appar-
emily the parent stock, from which
our ether black-spotted troat have
scarcely as yet become differentiated.
Considerable local variations oceur,
especially in size, coloratzon and size
Of scales. The red blotches on the
lower jaw between the dentary bones
and the membrane joining them is
very constant and characteristic.
This trout is called tae Salmon trout
OF the Columbia, Yellowstone trout,
Lake trout, and Rocky Mountain
Brook trout. As stated above, it va
ries greatly in size and coloration.
While upon our fishing excursion We
caught fish that were nearly black,
fish that We're green, fish that were
almost yellow, fish with many spots,
fish with few spots; big fish, thick
fish, slim fish, fish with throat all YER
million which shaded of to warm
glow on the breast, and fish with only
a mere patch of red under the chin.
Yet although the fish we caught va
ried 50 much in size and appearance.
they all bore the characteristics which
proclaimed them all to be one and the
same kind. The trout found in tie
locality Of the Great Spring is ident-
ical with the species found in the
creeks. Our trout spawn in the au-
tumn. At some periods Of the year
many people can not each them In
fact, I have heard many an old hunt
er say that they would bite only at
certain seasons. But the truth is, the
bait must be changed to suit the tine
of the year, and sometimes to suit the
locality. Il this important matter is
skillfully attended to trout can be
caught with hook and line every
month in the year
Little or no fly fishing is done here,
grasshoppers being the nearest ar-
proach TO flies that most people use.
The trout is very smart fish and is
easily alarmed; therefore, he must be
approached carefully, or of he goes
ike dart. He is carriyerous and a
canf1ibs'. Many fine trout have ue
caught by using a piece Of spotted
skin or the tail OF eye Of another fish
Of the same species.
There is little fish found under
tie stones in the brooks that is often
used for trout bait, with great success.
It looks like miniature catfish or
btdlhead. Some people call it stickle-
back; but the name is erroneous, for
the fish is doubtless species OF mill
ers-thumb Some hunters say that
this little fish eats the eggs and fry Of
the trout. II such is the case, it must
consume vast quantities, for it is very
voraeious. have however, examined
the stomachs Of many Of these mill
and found them to con-
tain small water beetles, their larFa,
the grubs and larvas Of beetles and
flies, whose early life is spent IN the
water, and Of the buds of water
plants; but I have been unable to find
any traces of eggs or OF young trout
FRED. ANDERSON.