NORTHERN INLAND FISHES. 29 1 



it, leaving enough free that the hook may clear the weeds and bot- 

 tom bf the lake or pond where used ; cork and throw bottles and 

 bait overboard on the windward side of the proposed fishing 

 ground. Off go the bottles, " bobbin' round," every ripple keep- 

 ing things lively. Presently a big pike or bass takes a pull at the 

 bottle, frees the line from the cork and sets things spinning. 

 Round and round whirls the bottle till the spare line is paid out ; 

 then dips, bobs, plunges, now under, now out, and always keeping 

 a taut line on the " bottle-holder " below. Of course you go for it 

 and generally the fish comes up well " tucker'd out," as the saying 

 is. With a dozen or so of these new fangled trimmers afloat, and 

 plenty of game fish about, this is a lively style of fishing ; and 

 though it lacks the nice dexterity of the light rod and fine tackle 

 that makes bass fishing so enticing, it has the merit of spreading 

 over a good deal of ground and putting the bait a great distance 

 from the boat. 



Fishing through the ice is a pastime that serves to vary the mo- 

 notony of a long and dreary winter, and when the ice is smooth 

 and in good condition for skating, is really enjoyable. With a 

 large bright fire blazing on the ice near at hand, and the body 

 glowing delightfully with vigorous and not too violent exercise, it 

 is exhilarating sport to " tend " the scattered tilts and tip-upswhen 

 the fish bite freely. With the blood in freest circulation, one 

 scarcely feels the cold of the freezing water on his hands, and when 

 he has unhooked his fish and tossed it toward the stiff and rigid 

 pile already caught, he cheerily gives his arms a thresh to quicken 

 the warmth, and darts away to obey the signal that another fish 

 has struck. When the day is calm and without wind, one can get 

 as much amusement out of this pastime as he ever can with his 

 salmon rod and reel. The simplest kind of a tilt is a lath or nar- 

 row piece of board, u'ith a hole bored through one end, through 

 which a round stick is run with both ends resting on the sides of 

 the hole in the ice. The line and bait are attached to the short 

 end of the tilt, and when the fish is on his weight tips up the 

 longer end and gives the signal that he is caught. There is an 

 improved tilt which consists of an upright and an arm, the line 

 passing over the end of the latter down into the water. When a 

 fish bites, the line is cast off, the arm falls, and at the same time 



