RANGELEY BROOK TROUT. 



BY 

 JAMES A. WILLIAMSON, 



Sec. Oquossoc Angling Association. 



ABOUT twelve summers ago, when spending a delight- 

 ful vacation at Manchester, Vermont, under the shadow 

 of Mt. Equinox, my attention was called to a little book 

 which gave a description of the exceptionally large 

 brook trout inhabiting the waters of the Rangeley 

 Lakes. 



Never having heard, heretofore, of a fish of that spe- 

 cies that weighed more than three pounds, and never 

 having caught any over a pound and a half (although 

 I had dropped a line in many waters and exerted my 

 utmost muscle in casting a line for fingerlings), I could 

 not bring my mind to believe that such fish as were 

 described really existed, and at once pronounced it an- 

 other fish story. Although much interested in the 

 narrative I finally threw down the book in disgust, and 

 as I did so, observed for the first time that the author 

 was Robert Gr. Allerton, a very old friend, whom I had 

 always esteemed a man of veracity. I at once took a 

 new interest in the subject and determined to investi- 

 gate the matter personally. I came to New York, had 

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