Any method used in aging fish must fulfill certain requirements to be satisfactory. If the method is inaccurate, naturally little reliance can be placed upon its use. If considerable study of the method and much practice are required before accurate readings can be obtained, the method will not come into widespread us ~. The requirements of an aging method, then are that . it must be accurate and comparatively easy. The scale method for aging lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush Walbaum) unfortunately does not fulfill these requirements.