12 NORTHERN FISHES 



lighter lines. Heavier lines are better suited for trolling. After fishing 

 dry your line by .stringing it between two trees or posts. Wet lines 

 deteriorate very rapidly. 



Some fish grab the lure hard and are hooked at the first strike; 

 others grab the lure in their mouths without being hooked. On finding 

 it unpalatable they will quickly spit it out unless the fisherman sets 

 the hook. There is no positive rule for setting the hook, but the usual 

 method is to pull back strongly on your rod after feeling the first 

 strong tug as the fish strikes, and then start to reel in. If you have 

 hooked your fish, he will give several tugs as he tries to throw the 

 hook from his mouth. He may even start to pull away and may break 

 water. Whether j'ou are bait casting or fly fishing, try to keep a tight 

 line on your fish at all times. It is easy for a poorly hooked fish to 

 throw off the hook if the line is slack. Start reeling him in but always 

 be prepared to let him have line when he wants it. Usually he will 

 make several short rushes away and then continue to come your way 

 as you reel in again. 



When the fish nears the boat or the fisherman, he usually starts 

 fighting in earnest. Give him line and then reel in the moment he 

 weakens. Keep this up until your fish is tired and can be brought up 

 for landing. Many a fish escapes because he is not sufficiently subdued; 

 when brought close up for landing, he will give a wild dash, breaking 

 the hue unless the fisherman is alert and releases the reel to give the 

 fish line for this final rush. The surest way of landing your fish is with 

 a dip net, although some expert fishermen can successfully divert the 

 final rush of a large fish so that he will flip over into the boat. Many 

 fishes, both large and small, are lost if they are lifted out of the water by 

 the line, because when clear of the water their weight, which was large- 

 ly displaced in the water, tears the hook from their mouths. 



Fishes caught in warm weather may spoil quickly. Sometimes a fish 

 placed on a stringer early in the morning dies in a short time and 

 shows signs of decomposition by afternoon. If possible fishes should 

 be kept alive until they can be dressed and placed on ice. Fishes are 

 often fatally injured by the hook, especially if the hook penetrates the 

 gills or the nearby circulatory structures, and may die soon after being 

 caught. Fatal injuries may occur through careless handling; avoid 

 touching the gills because slight injuries to these delicate structures 

 can kill the fish. 



If a fish is not seriously injured, it can be kept alive all day by using 

 the safety-pin type of stringer and stringing each fish separately by 

 passing the pin through the lower jaw. The practice of pinning the 

 upper and lower jaws together may prevent the fish from opening its 

 mouth for respiration. Never pass a stringer through the gills since 

 this injures the gills and kills the fish. If live-boxes or tanks with suit- 

 able running water are available, fishes can be kept alive for several 



