(Salvelinus fontinalis)
The Eastern brook trout--properly a char--was introduced into the
coast waters several years ago and found our waters so congenial that
it must now be considered a resident species, for it is to be met with
in many of our streams, and thrives well in any of the higher
localities. The brook trout is a handsome fish with its brown and
olive marbled back, scarlet spots and salmon-colored sides. Its beauty
has challenged the cunning of the painter, and been immortalized by
the genius of the poet. Its gamy qualities stood for centuries as
beyond comparison until the bended rod and singing reel announced the
impalement of the native of the Golden West, with its mad rushes and
terrier-like fights; then the rosy beauty of the East had to yield the
palm to the rainbow-colored, fighting pirate of the Pacific.
The brook trout may easily be distinguished from any of the other
trout of the coast by its marbled back and red spotted sides. Besides
this the whole fish is more of a pinkish color. It varies in size like
the others of the family, according to the waters it inhabits,
attaining about the same size as the rainbow in the same waters.
=Tackle and Lure=--On account of over fishing the streams, and the
very bad habit of killing so many small fish, the majority of the
trout caught on the Pacific Coast are small. If there were more
sportsmen and less fishermen on our streams this condition would not
exist. For the sportsman will throw back all the little babies that
are not over six inches in length and allow them another year to grow.
And in this connection I want to say to the young boys and girls: be
true sportsmen and sportswomen and never fish for trout with anything
but artificial flies. You may not catch as many fish while you are
learning, but you will soon find that you are having ten times more
sport. As to the rod and line, you will never get it too light. The
longer you have been a flycaster, the lighter you will want them; and
the lighter they are the more sport you will have.