The Colorado statesman., 1924-07-05
Ezz72D -AGE q y

boys and their poles however juicy and nice their
worms might taste
Abundance of summer feeding finds the school
boy trout has grown big and strong. His sides
bulge out with healthy roundness, and In trout
land-it is not spring-but in the fall his fancy
lightly turns to thoughts of love-" He had be-
come dissatisfied with the meager fare of the
brooks, and determined that when the heavy
rains of May caused the brook to rise in roaring
flood he would make the venture and run down
into the big river for greater freedom and wider
space, without serious thoughts as to how the
change of environment would affect him-good or
bad When he got there In his travel upstream
he soon became aware of entirely new trials and
dangers to encounter. for he found all the larger
trout In the most desirable situations. savage and
distrustful of the handsome young strangers ap-
pearance among them. Driven from place to
another he hardly knew what to do or where to
find snug place to rest and feed. He NOR
tally afraid of the big fellows especially the ugly
brown trout that showed fierce teeth with which
nature had not provided him. Onward he
sped, and at last got to mighty rock, just in the
middle of the stream, when the water surged past
each side forming round blanket of white foam
the surface. Just he satisfied this would
make an ideal haunt to abide, he n great trout
rushing tremendous rate to the river bed,
roofing his among the pebbles, vanly trying to
tear out a barbed fly fast to his upper lip. Fail
ing get free, the great trout went dashlng up
for q supreme effort to leap above the surface.
. . The great trout was seen more by the
young, yet startled lover, who at once decided to
occupy the vacant haunt, and take heed the
angler did likewise capture him. Almost ey-
ery day other fish to contest the rights of
that ideal place. but after many battles, he last
became sole occupant of the pool. In that fruitful
place he gorged day and night till the fail of the
year when In all his youthful vigor and strength,
in brilliant array ne left his favorite haunt La
search of mate.
The long, cold winter Is at hand and the ardent
lover has become the parent of SIX hundred IN
fants whom he will not see-and IL he did, would
strike among them for hearty meal He Is
about to change quarters to the bed OF deep pool
where the is least affected by freezing tenn
perature there to lie dormant with other aquatic
denlzens most of the time to be unconscious of any
happening of FROST snowstorms, Ice jams, then
at springtime to wake up with advanced ideas OF
his prowess No longer the young modest hover, he
Is very hungry dominant, ready for fight, In fact
n soldier of fortune flushed in the pride of vigor-
Gus adult trouthood he awaits with fmpatience the
awakening of aquatic life that comes Immediately
after the melted snow-water has run down to the
sea Not so lusty In the fall, his broad shou-
ders and sides are narrowed down by winters fast
his annette Graves for varied diet. With
body fifteen inches long he can take In his nav,
with ease a young muskrat four-inch minnow
or trout and would not despise a frog. The pug
nacious crawfish that scared him I'm infantile days
would find life very short once ne got It's tail De
tween his wide Jaws.
he moves away from the dark winter pool, and dur
,ng tha tourney upstream he looks keenly about
for helgramites and other bottom creatures who,
like him, have their spring appetite on keen edge.
The river is big, torrent of rushing muddy water,
but he darts onward towards the big rock, his
favorite haunt of a past which he finds
to be Just the OF yore- He Is familiar