302 FISHING IN AMERICAN WATERS. 



All fishes of the genus Salmo are more readily captured by 

 trolling with natural baits, such as the shiner or the smelt, 

 which is the salmon's natural food, to a troll formed of 

 burnished silver, with the hook disguised by gay feathers, 

 while all families of the pike and perch prefer the feathered 

 squid. For trolling, the black bass prefers live bait; but in 

 July he will bite at almost any gay fly, if artistically pre- 

 sented. 



The troll is the most killing method of angling short of the 

 net and the pound, and yet it is not nearly so popular in 

 America as in Europe. An American gentleman would hard- 

 ly consent to troll for salmon, and yet in both Scotland and 

 Ireland they cross-fish for them by two row-boats carrying 

 each an angler with trolling-rods, and the lines of each angler 

 are connected at the ends, where a float marks the division. 

 To each line numerous flies are attached, and the boats are 

 rowed along at a convenient distance, and when a salmon 

 bites, the angler on which side of the float the fish is fastened 

 reels and plays the salmon, while the other angler gives line. 

 If the oarsmen, who gaff the fish, get nervous, a snarl of lines 

 and hooks, and a loss of the fish, are results quite naturally 

 expected and frequently realized. 



SPOON-YICTFALS FOR LONG-SNOUTS. 



The larger sizes of feathered spoons are preferred in troll- 

 ing for the maskinonge and the great Northern pickerel, as 

 also for the glass-eyed pike. The difference in the two styles 

 of troll is illustrated by A and B. Troll A revolves on a 

 shoulder, to which two hooks are first wound with brass-wire, 

 then soldered. On the shank, as represented, feathers are 

 mounted. Decisive colors are to be preferred, such as red 

 and white. Sometimes two swivels, one at the shank of the 

 hook and the other at the end of the gimp snell, six inches 

 above, are used to prevent the rapidity of the action of the 

 troll from kinking the line. 



Troll B is so arranged that different fly-hooks may be 



