40 FISHERMAN'S LURES 



have been crossing the stream, which they often 

 do, following after their parents in search of food. 

 A good artificial requires to have movable forelegs 

 to swim half submerged. The angler who is pro- 

 vided with a set of these baits, live or artificial, is 

 fully equipped to fish for any species of game-fish, 

 in any season or condition whatever. 



Before concluding this chapter, mention should 

 be made of why I have not included the large 

 family of coleoptera, or water-beetles, so very 

 abundant in lakes, ponds, and slow-moving 

 streams. In many examinations of stomach con- 

 tents of various game-fish, I have not yet found 

 evidence that adult water-beetles furnish enough of 

 the food-supply to make it necessary for artificial 

 imitations. Leonard West, in his admirable book. 

 The Trout-Fly, gives several varieties that trout- 

 feed on, and even prefer to insects. Those he men- 

 tions must be habitants of deep, slow-moving 

 streams. Many varieties of beetle creepers do 

 certainly furnish considerable bottom food for 

 trout, because their habit is not to hide, but to 

 move about among the pebbles in search of food 

 during the daytime. Many of the adult water- 

 beetles toward evening leave the streams and 

 spread their wings to soar in the air. In the early 



