238 THE HALCYON IN CANADA. 



big fish in the head of the lake. I was first advised 

 of his approach by two or three trout jumping clear 

 from the water to get out of his lordship's way. 

 The water was not deep 'just there, and he swam so 

 near the surface that his enormous back cut through. 

 With a swirl he swept my fly under and turned. 



My hook was too near home, and my rod too near 

 a perpendicular to strike well. More than that, my 

 presence of mind came near being unhorsed by the 

 sudden apparition of the fish. If I could have had 

 a moment's notice, or if I had not seen the monster, 

 I should have fared better and the fish worse. I 

 struck, but not with enough decision, and before I 

 could reel up, my empty hook came back. The trout 

 had carried it in his jaws till the fraud was detected, 

 and then spat it out. He came a second time and 

 made a grand commotion in the water, but not in my 

 nerves, for I was ready then, but failed to take the 

 fly and so to get his weight and beauty in these 

 pages. As my luck failed me at the last I will place 

 my loss at the full extent of the law, and claim that 

 nothing less than a ten-pounder was spirited away 

 from my hand that day. I might not have saved 

 him, netless as I was upon my cumbrous raft ; but I 

 should at least have had the glory of the fight, and 

 the consolation of the fairly vanquished. 



These trout are not properly lake-trout, but the 

 common brook-trout (S. fontanalis). The largest 

 ones are taken with live bait through the ice in win- 

 ter. The Indians and the habitans bring them out of 



