FOREST, LAKE, AND RIVER 



Large trout are hard chaps to awaken into bit- 

 ing moods. One thing after another is tried, and 

 failure alone comes. Once struck well, their play- 

 is the same, and demands extreme skill. At one 

 time I fished in a lake where I knew there were 

 large trout. I sent my guide early in the morn- 

 ing, just before dawn was breaking, simply to 

 watch and ascertain where a break was made. 

 Just off a rocky ledge he found that fish were 

 rising, and were evidently large ones. I began 

 fishing at about nine o'clock. I caught only a 

 few, and these were small. I tried fly after fly, 

 with no success. Finally I secured some small 

 live minnows, placed one on the tail hook, and 

 above this, attached two good taking flies. I then 

 trolled over the ground, but secured only one 

 medium-sized trout, and at about five o'clock, 

 tired and cold, I had decided to return to camp. 

 Before doing so, I determined to make a final try. 

 I used a fresh and very small minnow, and placed 

 a medium-sized sinker on the line just above the 

 leader, then let out a long line, and trolled near the 

 point mentioned. The canoe was merely kept 

 moving. This time my patience and work were 

 well rewarded. My chill and weariness utterly 

 disappeared, for I had two strikes that were 

 strong ones, and I knew the biters were large. So 



268 



