NOCTURNAL FEEDING OF GAME-FISH 75 



done at different parts of the season. Another 

 proof, if necessary, is found in the successful re- 

 sults of the nocturnal angler. I will give a few 

 incidents of the numberless in my experience. 



On a hot day in July, accompanied by a well- 

 known dry-fly expert, we fished diligently the 

 morning and afternoon till nearly dark without 

 getting a single fish. Crossing a brook at its junc- 

 tion with the river, we observed two youths, sons 

 of our hotel host, busy in the water spearing mud 

 minnows with a three-prong table fork. To our 

 passing remark, "Going fishing?" they replied, 

 "Sure." The following morning our hostess dis- 

 played two browns and a rainbow, three exceed- 

 ingly nice fish, plump and well-rounded, fifteen 

 inches long, caught on the fly the previous eve- 

 ning by her sons. These two youths, like all "na- 

 tives," keep their eyes open as to the whereabouts 

 of large fish; then after dark know exactly where 

 to swim a live minnow right past the nose of these 

 fish. We, being supposed by other angling guests 

 to be experts, were completely outfished by inno- 

 cent natives using primitive tackle and just a 

 "common pole." Many of the so-called "prize 

 fish," entered as caught on a fly (name given), 

 are captured in this nefarious manner. One astute, 



