THE AMERICAN TROUT. 31 
course, and insisted upon rowing slowly and carefully 
for shore at a shallow place sheltered from the wind, 
although I greatly feared the hook would tear out or the 
rod snap under the strain of towing both weeds and 
fish ; once near shore, he deliberately forced an oar into 
the mud and made the boat fast to it, and then taking 
up the net, watched for a favorable chance. He waited 
for some time, carefully putting the weeds aside, until a 
gleaming line of silver glanced for a moment beneath 
the water, when darting the net down, lie as suddenly 
brought it up, revealing within its folds the glorious 
colors of a splendid trout. That was the way to land a 
trout under difficulties, although I still -think I could 
have done it successfully by myself. 
Generally, the utmost delicacy should be shown in 
killing a fish, but there are times when force must be 
exerted. If the fish is making for a stump, or even 
weeds, he must be stopped at any reasonable risk of the 
rod's breaking or the fly's tearing out. A stump is the 
most dangerous ; one turn round that, and he is ofi', leav- 
ing your flies fast probably in a most inconvenient place 
and many feet below the surface of the water. Bui 
remember the oft-repeated maxim of a friend of the 
writer's, who has been with him many a joyous fishing 
day, that " One trout hooked is worth a dozen not 
hooked." Small trout are more apt to escape than large 
ones, because the skin round the mouth of the latter is 
tougher. "With either, however, there is risk enough ; 
the hook is small, and often takes but a slight hold ; the 
gut is delicate, and frequently half worn through by 
continual casting. 
