394 FISHING IN AMERICAN WATERS. 



piles driven into the bottom, leaving the tops of them a foot 

 or so above the bottom, to prevent poachers from netting the 

 pond or stream. The dam may or may not be constructed 

 so as to permit the trout to follow down the stream to its 

 estuary and return at will. This would depend upon agree- 

 ment between the diiferent owners of the stream. But when 

 the stream debouches into a bay or river of salt-water, a tum- 

 bling dam offers an inducement to smelt, herring, etc., to 

 spawn in the pond, and thus stock it with the best feed pos- 

 sible for trout, for those trout which feed on shrimp, smelt, 

 spearing, young herring, and the roe of fishes are always su- 

 perior to such as feed on worms brought down the stream by 

 . a freshet. Although one of the principal charms of the trout 

 is that he feeds on the flies which swarm on the surface of 

 the water, thus enlivening and beautifying the water by 

 breaking to the surface and forming numerous wakes of large 

 circles, and sometimes rising above the surface and disclosing 

 miniature rainbows of amber and gold, yet there are times 

 when he prefers something more substantial, and will not 

 touch a fly. In this he imitates humanity, which requires 

 roast beef, as well as plum-pudding and omelette soufflee. So 

 the trout requires his piece de resistance of something more 

 substantial than flies. 



Dubravius, Dr. Lebault, and many piscatorial professors, 

 dwell at great length upon preparing fish-ponds and taking 

 care of them. We therefore extract the gist of their advice, 

 intermingled with our own, as follows: A pond intended for 

 either profit or pleasure should be cleansed once every three 

 or four years, especially if large compared with the stream 

 by which it is fed, or if sustained by more surface-water than 

 of spring-water. It should be drained and lie dry six or 

 twelve months, both to kill the water-weeds and the animals 

 which feed on trout and its roe. The letting your pond dry 

 and sowing oats in the bottom is also good, for it purifies the 

 bottom of the pond. 



In reconstructing your pond after draining it, and having 



