7 



520 TROUT FISHING IN THE YOSEMITE YALLET. 



coloring, and is more sluggish in movement and less vora- 

 cious in appetite. Its spots are all black, less regular in size, 

 form and arrangement, and it has a coppery stripe ruzlning 

 along the lower part of either side. It was the unanimous 

 verdict of our party that its flesh is inferior to that of the 

 eastern brook trout, though it was highly relished by all. 

 The waters of the river are almost as transparent as the 

 atmosphere, and are as cold as it is safe to bathe in. The 

 trout were so abundant that usually several were in view to 

 the observer standing on the river bank, but so shy that one 

 would rarely remain within forty feet.* The Indians 

 daily brought in large strings taken with the hook, which 

 they sold to Mr. Hutchings, our landlord ; but it was said, 

 that with one exception, no white man had ever taken one. 

 The bait always used by the natives is the angle-worm, which 

 Mr. Hutchings assured me was found abundant in the valle^ 

 by the first white visitors. I may pause here to say that this 

 statement interested me much from the fact that none of 

 these worms were ever found on Lake Superior till they 

 were planted there ; ten years ago those who used them for 

 bait were obliged to take them along. I planted the first at 

 Eagle River, seven years since, with worms taken from 

 Ottawa, Illinois, and they have flourished finely since. 



After nine hours of travel on a very hot day, we re- 

 turned from viewing the falls to the hotel. While the rest 

 of the party sought rest on beds in their rooms, or on robes 

 or blankets under the oaks, I determined to try my hand 

 with the trout. I overhauled my satchel and found a few 

 flies and some naked hooks, and a very indifferent line. 

 Mine host loaned me a Chinese rod, which answered well 

 enough. I first essayed with artificial flies, from behind 

 a bunch of willows, by which I was entirely concealed. 

 They simply laughed at all my efforts at deception. They 

 seemed as indifferent to any fly which I had as they would 



*They were generally observed moving slowly about from six to twelve inches 

 below the surface. The current ia very strong. 



