158 CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME. 
environment. On the other hand, the fish in Pine Lake were Steel- 
head trout that, due to the formation of the country, can not run.to 
the sea. The result is that their natural period of spawning is delayed, 
and I expect you saw the fish that you caught were not so plump as 
the stream fish were. 
Second Tourist: They did not seem to put up much of a fight when 
hooked. They just gave one jump and then were brought in without 
any further struggle. 
Third Tourist: Don’t the fish in Pine Lake ever get into good 
condition ? 
Angler: In about six weeks time there will be a great change in 
them. It takes time for them to recover from spawning, particularly 
so as they have to get back into condition in a fresh water lake, rather 
Fic. 43. Proper method of holding dry-fly rod. Photo- 
graph by R. L. M. 
than in their real environment, the sea. Early in the season they are 
good, but they begin to fall off about the middle of June, and it is 
not until the latter part of August that they become fit again. 
Mrs. Tourist: My husband has been telling us of the wonderful sport 
you had today. I wish we had been along instead of going over that 
rough road to the lake. 
Second Tourist: Why didn’t you begin to fish as soon as you reached 
the river? Tourist tells me that you waited for nearly half an hour 
before you began fishing. 
Angler: When trout are not feeding on the surface it is very diffi- 
cult to induce them to rise to a dry fly. One or two authorities on the 
art have stated that when the exact position of a fish is known, it 
can sometimes be coaxed to take a dry fly, if the fly is floated over it 
