The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-05-20
CRAWLING SPAWN SHIPPED TO
STOCK EASTERN WATERS.
MILLIONS OF YOUNG TROUT
For Stocking Streams to Be Turned
Out During Present Season at
Hatchery at Bridger Canyon.

Every sportsman should be directly
interested in the work of the United
States fish hatchery, located in
Bridgaer canyon, Gallatin county. The
place is now in charge of DR.. Hen
shall, a man of scientific work. Dur
ing the present season the hatchery
will turn out several million grayling,
steel head trout, rainbow trout and
eastern brook trout. Most Of these
will be distributed in the streams of
Montana. DR.. Henshall, who is a
famous angler, as well as a learned
writer on fish, gives the following out
line Of the game fish of this section
of the country: ga +
In the Rocky Mountain region there
are three distinct groups of trout be-
longing to the Salmo genus-the cut
throat, the rainbow and the steelhead.
They are al black spotted. In widely
separated sections Of the country
they may be readily distinguished by
certain characteristics, but in other
localities where they may be said to.
%co-exist, naturally it is a difficult mat
ter to distinguish one group from an
other. Indeed, at n time the rain
bow and steelhead being supposed to
be the sea-run form Of the species. At
the present time however, they are
held to be distinct.
The Dolly Warden, or bull trout, be-
longs to a different genus and is re-
lated to the brook trout of eastern
waters having also red spots.
While the cutthroat trout inhabits
both slopes Of the Rockies, the others
named were originally confined to
the Pacific slope.
The Great Lake and Mackinaw
trout and grayling are native to Mon
tana. The former is found only in
Elk lake, a mountain lake at the head
of Jefferson river, while the grayling
exists, naturally, only in the tribu-
taries of the Missouri river above the
Great falls. 1t is remarkable that
these two species are found nowhere
else west of Michigan except in the
Arctic regions. Perhaps, as has been
supposed, it is the result of some
cataclysm of the glacial period.
The small mountain white fish is
abundant in most of the streams of
Montana, but it is very lightly es-
teemed either as a game or food fish.
The cutthroat or black spotted trout
is the most widely distributed of all
the Rocky mountain trout. The cut
throat is commonly called the brook
or speckled trout of the Rickies. When
the cutthroat grows to a large size it
is sometimes calleu salmon trout"
but the only salmon trout is the steel
head. In gameness and flavor it hardly
equals the eastern redspotted brook
trout and it's habits are somewhat
different. 1t lies in pools and holes
like the salmon and does not frequent
the rifles as much as the eastern
trout. In size it is somewhat larger
than the eastern trout in streams of
the same depth and width and also
grows larger in lakes.
The steelhead or salmon trout is
the trimmest and most graceful of
all the trout species. being more sal
mon-like in shape and appearance. Its
spots are smaller than the other
black species, spotted, and it has us
ually a pink flush along the laetral
line, but not so pronounced al the
rainbow trout. Its color is of a light
er hue than the rainbow or cutthroat,
with steely reflections. a
During the past five years the Unit
ed States fish commission has intro
duced the steelhead in the waters of
Montana which seem to be very suit
able for this fine fish. Quite a mum.
Der of 3-year-old steelheads have been
taken on the fly which weighed from
two to three pounds. The steelhead
surpasses all other trout in gameness
and excellence in flavor. In our noun
tain lakes it should grow to eight OF
ten pounds, as it reaches 20 or more
inches where it runs to the sea on
the west coast. i.
The rainbow has very much the
shape and general appearance Of the
cutthroat, though somewhat deeper
perhaps, and with a shorter head and
smaller mouth. It's distinguishing
feature, however, is the broad rec
band along the lateral line, common
to both male and female.
The grayling is a very trim and
beautiful fish. The lovely iridescen'
colors and tall, gayly decorated dorsa
fin must be seen fresh from the wat
or tn he nrOner1v a~nnreciafed Th(