The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1895-09-13
THE GERMAN TROUT.
It Has Thrived Since Lite Intro-
duction In America
They Grow with Marvellous RnpldIty and
ara Qulea Rising. savage Fighting
y Fish VIII E1terminate the
Native Brook Trout.

y
Native Brook Trout
The first specimens Of the Won
Behr or brown trout were planted
some ten years ago in New York
state streams, after prolonged OPP
position and with considerable mis-
giyiugs on the part Of the most en-
thusiastic friends Of the ish, says
the New York Sun. From their
native land, in continental Europe,
came reports OF the cannibalistic in
clinationz OF these trout, how they
killed and ute other species and
their own young, how fish eggs we're
their fayorite diet, how sluggish
they were ut maturity, and how I'M
willing to rise at flS In spite Of
discouraging reports, the late Prof.
Baird secured shipment Of twenty
Ave thousand eggs from Germany.
About ten thousand of these fell to
the share Of New York state, and
we're planted in streams at Gale
donia. The same year some Of the
fry were liberated in the Pere Mar
quette river in the far northern part
Of Michigan.
From the first the introduction OF
these trout was marked success,
The specimens caught within-two
years after planting proved at least
three OF the qualities claimed for the
Won Behr: That it grew with mar
velous rapidly, throve on the food
10 American waters, and was
quick-rising. savage-6ghting fish.
In general shape the German trout
resembles S. fontinalis very closely,
but is not SO deep from back to belly,
and its tail is not so square, being
well-rounded at the corners. With
its greenish- brown hronzed back,
boldly dotted with black, it is a
handsome, If not brilliantly colored,
fish. One, at least, of its bad quail
ties seems to have been proved:
That it will in short time exter-
inmate the native brook trout from
any stream in which both are found.
One reason for this Is that the Won
Behr grows to a far greater sizean
weight than the S. fontinalis, full
grown specimens sometimes reach
ing a weight OF thirty pounds.
Twelve pounds is the weight OF the
yet caught in this country.
Clear, fast-flowing, cool streams are
the natural haunts Of this trout, and
preferably such as have their outlet |
in a deep-water lake. II is a swift
swimmer, powerful and very bold in
pursuit of prey. lu its high leaps
over riffs or or log distractions, it. |
the salmon, though far less
than the latter. Dur
ing the early hours OF mos ..;,,ss aises
the twilight time all its feeding Is
done, and at noon 1t lies, seemingly
dormant, hidden under overhanging /
banks and rocks. Like the native |
trout, it feeds on insects and their
larvae, worms, small fish and tiny
From April to October the fishing
extends, and May, June and
are the bestmonths. The
fish rise freely to fly, small spoons,
worms and minnows, and are not
tickle. Unless the river be too high, |
or low or too muddy, or a violent
storm is on, you may always depend
on a fair creelof brown trout. They
love the shadows of overhanging
trees. and seem never TO be at home
in trceless meadow creek They
bite eagerly ard must be hooked on
the instant. moments delay, and
it is an empty strike, but the fish
will try for the bait again and again
where S. fontinals would bid you a
scornful farewell.
For stocking preserves these trout
are growing more and more in favor
each year. In springfield ponds and
streams (ruuning water is best,
having temperature not higher
than sixty degrees Fahrenheit, they
are sure TO thrive. They must not
be put in with the native brook
trout, but they seem 10 get along on
good terms with the big rainbow
trout. To show how popular the
Won Behr trout have become in the
few years since their arrival, one
has only to scan the list Of states
in which they are now found: New
York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts,
Missouri, Michigan, Maryland, Vir-
ginia, Nebraska, Wisconsin aud Col
orado have streams stocked with
them, and several other states are
experimenting with them. AS a
food fish the Won Behr has no SUI
perior, Its flesh is firm and very
digestiblc and nourishing, aud its
flavor, when Unsettled, even more
delicate than that of salmon. Its
meat is deeper red than salmon,
and, being firmer, keeps longer after
killing.