BOTTOM FISH FOOD IN LAKES 69 



many as twelve young sunfish half an inch long, 

 while neither insects nor other food was found in 

 any of the trout captured in this lake on many 

 different occasions. Fy-casting, dry or wet, was 

 to everybody a vain effort. This condition is 

 typical of many lakes in localities wide apart, 

 except that the fish food varies, yet in each in- 

 dividual instance anglers, after trying flies and 

 worms, always give the matter up in disgust or 

 despair. I repeatedly get plaintive letters from 

 anglers, even from Canada, who say, "I know lots 

 of fish are in this lake, but nobody can find a bait 

 to capture them and they won't touch flies." The 

 reply would be quite easy if I knew the fish food 

 contained in the lake. The only proper way to go 

 about solving such a difficulty is simply to take 

 tests of the food-supply, either by observation, by 

 the use of live bait known to be attractive, or by 

 artificial imitations of game-fish food, tried one 

 after the other till success is won. 

 Another difficulty arises sometimes. Some lakes, 

 indeed most lakes, have a disturbance that is 

 generally known as "purging," when the water 

 has a muddy, unclean appearance, filled with tiny 

 particles of colored decayed matter. On those oc- 

 casions, which happen once or several times each 



