When to Get Them 



opening season in Pennsylvania is the 15th of 

 June for pike, pickerel, mascalonge, and black 

 bass. The same date holds good for bass in New 

 York and New Jersey. 



Certainly the best time to go for speckled trout 

 in small mountain brooks is as soon as possible 

 after the law permits, if the weather is favorable. 

 The biggest fish and greatest numbers are taken 

 early; the brooks are full of water; worms, flies, 

 and all kinds of food are available so soon as the 

 warm spring comes; it is then the fish are raven- 

 ous, full of life and gaminess, more so than at 

 any later season. When the season advances 

 food becomes so plentiful that the fish respond 

 more tardily. In larger rivers all species of trout 

 are later in taking the fly or bait. The open 

 water is cold, and unless the air is w^arm and 

 balmy they won't come to the surface. I have 



often made the mistake of fishing 

 Later *^ large, open rivers in the first of the 



season, and got poor results, both on 

 the worm and fly. The best indication that the 

 fish are ready is when flies are seen fluttering 

 on the surface. This depends entirely upon the 

 season, a few warm days in May bring out the 

 flies on the surface. The season I consider best 

 for trout fishing in streams forty to one hundred 

 feet wide is from the first of May to the first of 

 June, paying the exclusive attention to small 

 brooks or mountain streams from the opening day 

 to the first of May. This applies to New York, 

 New Jersey, Pennsylvania; in more northern 

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