HASTY VISITS TO AMERICA 265 



along the Hudson to depopulate the stream, but there 

 is some very good angling of a common sort to be 

 obtained there. Striped bass, white perch, pickerel, 

 sun-fish, frost-fish, and catfish are amongst the game, 

 and trout are to be found in many of the tributary 

 brooks. The New Yorkers, I found, also fish the 

 Mohawk, where there are plenty of pike, pickerel, and 

 perch, pike being most abundant. The baits are crabs, 

 crickets, and minnows. Expensive as many things were 

 in America, boats, at any rate on waters of this kind, 

 could be had much cheaper than in England, 50 to 75 

 cents per day being a usual charge. 



Mr. Osgood, the slayer of the big fontinalis, had been 

 round the country, and I found him amongst his fishing 

 tackle in New York, showing rods and flies to an admir- 

 ing trio of anglers, who, with the near approach of 

 June, were making ready their outfit. I spoke in terms 

 of bitter disappointment at my fate in having to leave 

 the country without even seeing a trout stream. I 

 had three days to spare before the boat sailed, and 

 when Mr. Osgood was free he began to think what 

 could be done. The result was that he took me 

 over and introduced me to Mr. Harris, the editor 

 of the American Angler, an illustrated magazine of 

 fish, fishing, and fish culture, issued monthly. When 

 he learned my troubles he made a suggestion, which 

 suggestion being jumped at by me, he sat him down, 

 with the business-like promptitude by which our Trans- 

 atlantic cousins save a good deal of time in the course 

 of the day, wrote a letter, and the thing was done. 

 The letter was an injunction to someone to take care 

 of me and show me the best that was to be seen. Mr. 

 Osgood kindly allowed his business to slide for a day 

 or so, and in an hour we were crossing to New Jersey, 

 and were soon on board a train bound for Rockland 



