Pacific Salmon.—­Closely allied to Salmo salar both in appearance and habits is the genus Oncorhynchus, commonly known as Pacific salmon.  It contains six species, is peculiar to the North Pacific Ocean, and is of some importance to the angler, though of not nearly so much as the Atlantic salmon.  The quinnat is the largest member of the genus, closely resembles salar in appearance and surpasses him in size.  The others, sockeye, humpback, cohoe, dog-salmon and masu, are smaller and of less interest to the angler, though some of them have great commercial value.  The last-named is only found in the waters of Japan, but the rest occur in greater or less quantities in the rivers of Kamchatka, Alaska, British Columbia and Oregon.  The problems presented to science by solar are offered by Oncorhynchus also, but there are variations in his life-history, such as the fact that few if any fish of the genus are supposed to survive their first spawning season.  When once in the rivers none of these salmon is of very much use to the angler; as, though it is stated that they will occasionally take a fly or spoon in fresh water, they are not nearly so responsive as their Atlantic cousin and in many streams are undoubtedly not worth trying for.  At the mouths of some rivers, however, where the water is distinctly tidal, and in certain bays of the sea itself they give very fine sport, the method of fishing for them being usually to trail a heavy spoonbait behind a boat.  By this means remarkable bags of fish have been made by anglers.  The sport is of 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