f quite recent development.

[v.02 p.0027]

_Sea-Trout_.--Next to the salmon comes the sea-trout, the other
migratory salmonid of Europe. This is a fish with many local names and
a good deal of local variation. Modern science, however, recognises
two "races" only, _Salmo trutta_, the sea-trout proper, and _Salmo
cambricus_ or _eriox_, the bull-trout, or sewin of Wales, which
is most prominent in such rivers as the Coquet and Tweed. The
life-history of sea-trout is much the same as that of salmon, and the
fish on their first return from the sea in the grilse-stage are called
by many names, finnock, herling and whitling being perhaps the best
known. Of the two races _Salmo trutta_ alone is of much use to the
fly-fisher. The bull-trout, for some obscure reason, is not at all
responsive to his efforts, except in its kelt stage. Then it will take
greedily enough, but that is small consolation. The bull-trout is a
strong fish and grows to a great size and it is a pity that it is not
of greater sporting value, if only to make up for its bad reputation
as an article of food. Some amends, however, are made by its cousin
the sea-trout, which is one of the gamest and daintiest fish on the
angler's list. It is found in most salmon rivers and also in not a few
streams which are too small to harbour the bigger fish, while there
are many lakes in Scotland and Ireland (where the fish is usually
known as white trout) where the fishing is superb when the trout have
run up into them. Fly-fishing for sea-trout is not a thing apart.
A three-pounder that will impale itself on a big salmon-fly, might
equally well have taken a tiny trout-fly. Many anglers, when fishing a
sea-trout river where they run large, 5 lb or more, and where there is
also a chance of a salmon, effect a compromise by using a light 13
ft. or 14 ft. double-handed rod, and tackle not so slender as to make
hooking a salmon a certain disaster. But undoubtedly to get the full
pleasure out of sea-trout-fishing a single-handed rod of 10 ft. to 12
ft. with reasonably fine gut and small flies should be used, and
the way of using it is much the same as in wet-fly fishing for brown
trout, which will be treated later. When the double-handed rod and
small salmon-flies are used, the fishing is practically the same as
salmon-fishing except that it is on a somewhat smaller scale. Flies
for sea-trout are numberless and local patterns abound, as may be
expected with a fish which has so c