52 FISHERMAN'S LITRES 



brown in color than the well-known bass bait, 

 from which it differs only in feelers being absent 

 along the abdomen; the head and thorax are 

 broad and flat, of a rich brown color marked with 

 irregular-shaped cream-colored blotches. The un- 

 der-body is light straw-color, and the six stout 

 legs attached close to the head enable it to move 

 rapidly over or under stones or creep in sand or 

 mud to hide from danger. It is mostly found in 

 the deeper parts of the river bed, always a safe 

 foraging place for larger fish. It does not rise to 

 the surface like the nymph-creeper, but when ready 

 to change from the creeper state crawls along the 

 bottom bed to the sides, up large boulders or stems 

 of aquatic plants. 



Under the most favorable conditions, the bot- 

 tom beds of lakes and streams, where game-fish 

 are at all plentiful, are not crowded with creepers. 

 In the battle of life aquatic creatures are instinc- 

 tively wary: they hide under stones, among weeds, 

 or burrow out of sight under sand or mud to avoid 

 being seen by the sharp eyes of trout, that soon 

 discover and devour them. From the stomach of 

 one large brook-trout caught in the Willowemoc 

 I have taken seven of these hellgrammites from 

 half an inch to one inch and three-quarters in 



