A Sportsman 4 2 5 



man, Col. H. C. Nutt, one season after the ice had 

 freshly made. We had skated up the lake five miles 

 to take our lunch there. The Colonel regretted the 

 passing of the fly-fishing season, of which he was an 

 ardent votary. I said, "Well, you shall have some if 

 you want." He said that that was not possible, as the 

 waters were frozen over. I rejoined, "Nevertheless, 

 you shall have some. ' ' He was incredulous, and offered 

 to wager that he could not. "Very well," said I, 

 "but I don't want to win your money on a sure thing; 

 but I will wager you a big cigar or a box of cabman's 

 thirds that I will take a trout with a fly right here from 

 the platform in front, and put him in your hands within 

 five minutes from the time I commence fishing." 

 This offer was taken. I then had my man go in front 

 with an axe and break up the ice, which was between 

 2 and 3 inches thick, over a space of 10 by 15 

 feet. Then we put in a boat from an adjoining 

 cover and rocked it in a violent manner, driving 

 the ice out of the broken place, some over the ice and 

 some under. We then went in for lunch half an hour, 

 and after I reached down a fly-rod, equipped, from 

 over the door and cast, the Colonel standing 

 with his watch in hand. On the first cast my trout 

 struck, and in three minutes from the start I placed 

 a third-of-a-pound trout in the Colonel's hands. I let 

 the Colonel go on then, and he caught with his plain 

 fly from twenty-five to thirty trout in a short time. 

 The water where we fished was not over 3 or 4 feet deep. 

 The trout were of moderate size, the largest not being 

 over half a pound. The spot I had long known as a 

 favorite spawning ground for small trout, and perhaps 

 over a hundred were left there. 



