FOREST, LAKE, AND RIVER 



Soon the fish will take another turn, and be off, 

 as rapidly as before, in a new direction. And the 

 man with the rod will be kept busy with his sud- 

 den movements for from one to two hours. Even 

 as he is brought near to the boat, you cannot trust 

 him; he will suddenly develop new energy, and 

 be off again when you least expect it. As he is 

 slowly reeled in to the gunwale, have a gaff ready, 

 and give him a smart blow just over the eyes, to 

 stun him, and with the gaff pull him aboard before 

 he can come to. If he is not well stunned, he 

 will soon revive and grab the thwarts or side with 

 his jaws, which, as they are powerful and firm, 

 with long sharp teeth, will do much damage in a 

 short time; and his strong tail is better avoided, 

 if you do not want to get a nasty blow. 



Catching a single mascalonge of good size in a 

 morning, is sport enough for almost any one, and 

 the satisfaction of having landed him safely will be 

 tempered by the lameness of your arms and the 

 inclination to get safely back to shore and settle 

 down for the rest of the day. 



He is a fine-looking fellow when landed, and, 

 properly cooked (baking is the favorite method), is a 

 dish worthy of an epicure, provided you do not 

 keep him too long after he is out of the water. 

 When the fisherman once undertakes to catch him 

 36 



