And so much for these Fordidge Trouts, which never afford an angler
sport, but either live their time of being in the fresh water, by their
meat formerly gotten in the sea, not unlike the swallow or frog, or, by
the virtue of the fresh water only; or, as the birds of Paradise and the
cameleon are said to live, by the sun and the air.
There is also in Northumberland a Trout called a Bull-trout, of a much
greater length and bigness than any in these southern parts; and there
are, in many rivers that relate to the sea, Salmon-trouts, as much
different from others, both in shape and in their spots, as we see sheep
in some countries differ one from another in their shape and bigness,
and in the fineness of the wool: and, certainly, as some pastures breed
larger sheep; so do some rivers, by reason of the ground over which they
run, breed larger Trouts.
Now the next thing that I will commend to your consideration is, that
the Trout is of a more sudden growth than other fish. Concerning which,
you are also to take notice, that he lives not so long as the Pearch,
and divers other fishes do, as Sir Francis Bacon hath observed in his
History of Life and Death.
And next you are to take notice, that he is not like the Crocodile,
which if he lives never so long, yet always thrives till his death: but
'tis not so with the Trout; for after he is come to his full growth, he
declines in his body, and keeps his bigness, or thrives only in his head
till his death. And you are to know, that he will, about, especially
before, the time of his spawning, get, almost miraculously, through
weirs and flood-gates, against the stream; even through such high and
swift places as is almost incredible. Next, that the Trout usually
spawns about October or November, but in some rivers a little sooner or
later; which is the more observable, because most other fish spawn in
the spring or summer, when the sun hath warmed both the earth and water,
and made it fit for generation. And you are to note, that he continues
many months out of season; for it may be observed of the Trout, that he
is like the Buck or the Ox, that will not be fat in many months, though
he go in the very same pastures that horses do, which will be fat in one
month: and so you may observe, That most other fishes recover strength,
and grow sooner fat and in season than the Trout doth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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