22 AMERICAN FISHES. 



Round Lake, and the far-famed Louis Lake. We killed about two 

 hundred pounds' weight of fish. I killed one of sixteen pounds, one 

 of nine pounds and a quarter, and two of five pounds each. My friend 

 did not kill a single fish heavier than three pounds and three quarters, 

 neither did I, save those just mentioned ; and I would and do say, that 

 our fish did not average three pounds, the great majority being two 

 pounders. 



At the same time two friends fished Piseco Lake and Rackett Lake ; 

 the heaviest fish killed by them was eleven pounds ; and I do not be- 

 lieve that they took another of greater weight than four pounds ; at all 

 events, we beat them all to smash in weight and number. So much 

 for the average weight. 



The wholesale assertion on your 118th page, that they never rise to 

 the fly, should be qualified. It is not correct that they " never rise to 

 the fly." They frequently do. 



The nine pound and a quarter Lake Trout above referred to, was 

 killed by me with an artificial fly. The facts are these : On the 28th 

 of May, 1848, I was fishing on Louis Lake. I was using a trolling- 

 rod and a small Trout-rod, casting with one and trolling with the other. 

 Upon my trolling-leader I had two flies ; and when my oarsman was in 

 the act of pulling round a projecting elbow of wood, I reeled up, to 

 avoid contact with a fallen tree, and just as my first fly trailed on the 

 surface of the water, the fish broke or rather dashed at it ; I struck 

 him instantly, and away he went, with so much velocity that I had 

 hard work to keep my line from overrunning, not having a click-reel ; 

 I fortunately thumbed the reel, and passed my Trout-rod to the oars- 

 man, and then had fair play ; and I assure you I never had hold of a 

 fish of the same size, that showed more game, power or endurance. He 

 never sulked for an instant ; and the only difference which I could 

 discover in his mode of action from a Salmon, was that after being 

 struck, he did not show himself, or leap. Had I hooked this fish with 

 my light rod, I would not have killed him under an hour ; and, indeed 

 as it was, he was not " half gone " when Cowles, my guide, put the 

 gaff into him. This fish rose in about eight feet water, and took me 

 twenty-five minutes to kill him ; and I never worked harder in my life 

 to secure a fish, for you may imagine that I was anxious to secure a 

 Lake Trout, hooked as I have described. 



