A Sportsman 427 



occasionally be observed, but the favorable hour in 

 the right season was sure to reward the seeker. Once 

 I caught the pool on a day of high carnival, a day of 

 exultant joy, of moving and commotion among trout, 

 which on some days and occasions exhibit an eager 

 recklessness, and are fearless and bent on destruction. 

 It was a cold, blustering, gusty day, with occasional 

 sleet, late in September, when I had to go back fre- 

 quently to a fire on the shore to thaw out my benumbed 

 hands. At intervals the water boiled about me with 

 swirling breaks, and visible currents of pursuing fish. 

 My first cast, a short one, scarcely 10 ft. away, responded 

 with a 5 -pounder in an instant, and I begrudged the 

 time it required to bring him to net. Another and 

 another rose in succession to my fly, which scarcely 

 flecked the merry ripple tops ere it was taken. No 

 under of fly surface draw seemed required for my first 

 few fish, and I screamed with delight at each strike. My 

 third was an 8 1 -pounder and the largest of the day, 

 and the smallest was 3 Ibs., and my total catch ten 

 fish, which weighed 57 Ibs. 



I secured all alive in two large cars I had at the run, 

 excepting the largest, which was gilled, and on the 

 following day weighed the balance and gave back to the 

 pool all but three, which answered any use I could 

 have. 



The largest trout I have seen after being caught 

 weighed almost exactly n Ibs., although there are well- 

 authenticated instances of trout which have been caught 

 weighing 12 and 15 Ibs., and lo-pounders have been 

 taken in several instances. The largest I have ever taken 

 weighed 9! Ibs. and the second largest 9 Ibs., and I 

 have taken a good many from 7 to a little over 8 tbs. 



