FISHES OF THE CONNECTICUT LAKES. 61 
anything offered it. When hooked it seldom leaps from the water 
like a bass or salmon, but fights vigorously and rushes and tears 
about until, wearied with the struggle, it yields to the landing net 
or gaff. 
There are many methods of fishing for the pickerel. It is trolled 
for successfully with any of the various artificial baits, such as phan- 
toms, spoons, and spinners, which may be used with or without bait. 
Casting and “ skittering ” is perhaps the favorite method with sports- 
men, who use a long rod or pole and casting spoon or fish or frog 
bait. In this method the bait may be made a whole shiner or a strip 
from the white belly of any fish; a whole small frog, or the skinned 
leg of a large one, or at times a piece of pork, red flannel, or white 
cloth, when nothing better is available. In fishing with artificial 
lures of any kind the pickerel should be struck the instant it bites; 
with natural bait the line should be slackened and the fish should be 
allowed to retain the bait until it has swallowed it or got it well into 
the mouth, as it usually takes the bait crosswise, then stops and works 
it round endwise to swallow it, and does not get the hook into its 
mouth until it has begun to swallow the bait. 
Still-fishing with live shiner or frog is another method suitable to 
anglers with less strenuous dispositions. In still-fishing the shiner 
should be hooked through the back just in front of the back fin with 
the front of the hook toward the head, with care not to injure the 
spine of the fish. A frog should be hooked through the tip of the 
lower jaw and nose. Fishing through the ice with set lines and hand 
lines is a common pastime or occupation in many localities. The 
set lines are used with a “ tip-up ” flag showing when there is a bite. 
Hand-line fishing in winter is much the same as still-fishing in 
summer. 
As a food fish the pickerel is held in esteem by many and disliked 
by a few. The chief objection to it is its boniness. 
21. Bros. Cottus gracilis Heckel. 
Head 3.3; depth 6; snout 3.5; eye 4; dorsal vu, 17; anal 1,10. Body slender, 
not compressed; head large, snout short, wide and blunt, its profile straight 
and rather steep from eyes to tip; mouth wide, nearly horizontal, no teeth on 
palatines; maxillary reaching anterior edge of orbit; eyes high; preopercular 
spine small, concealed, nearly straight or slightly curved upward. 
Origin of spinous dorsal slightly posterior to upper base of pectoral, small, 
less than half height of soft dorsal and not joined to it; soft dorsal long and 
high, longer and higher than anal; caudal rounded; tips of ventrals not quite 
reaching vent; pectoral longer, reaching anterior base of anal. 
Color in life, in some examples dark brownish gray, the bands almost black; 
others much lighter; edge of first dorsal tipped with reddish orange; lower part 
of 3 or 4 posterior spines dark, making a dark oblong spot, the first 1 or 2 spines 
also darkish for lower half of their length; anterior part of second dorsal rays 
each with a mottled orange appearance, though not so evident as the orange 
