272 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 



For small fish or small flies a mere turn of the wrist is 

 the proper and artistic thing, but for large ones this 

 method is a delusion. Then you must "sock it to them." 

 After all, promptness to respond to the rise, without a 

 suspicion of hesitancy, is practically the important point. 



In the spring of 1883, fishing was good where I was 

 so fortunate as to be. And as is my custom, the locality 

 permitting, we made a little pond in which to imprison 

 and watch the fish taken. Again and again we filled the 

 pond with trout, and after a brief confinement returned 

 them to the water and liberty. At last a spring pond at 

 no great distance abounding in minnows yet destitute 

 of trout occurred to our minds, and we determined to 

 stock it. Water transportation was available for the 

 greater part of the distance, but the last two or three 

 hundred yards was land carriage. Across this my guide 

 John carried the fish in a tin milk-pail, his hat floating 

 on the surface of the water therein contained, lest in 

 their struggles they should flop out to their injury, for 

 they were all good-sized fish and very lively. 



Upon reaching the border of their new home the fish 

 were completely exhausted by their struggles, and when 

 placed in the water were quite content to breathe and 

 rest, without an effort to move away. During the hour 

 or more occupied in this portage for the pail would not 

 hold more than three or four at a time I stood and 

 watched these fish lying at my feet in not more than a 

 foot of crystal water. Occasionally as they breathed a 

 dead leaf would drift into the mouth of some one of 

 them. For a brief second it would remain before its 

 presence seemed to be realized ; then it was shot out 

 with a velocity sufficient to project it several inches 

 through the water. I say shot out, and that phrase ex- 



