208 . THE MICHIGAN PEKINSULA. 



Strait. This road passes within eight miles of the east end 

 of Houghton Lake and strikes the sources of many streams 

 which abound in trout. The country is virgin and " dese- 

 crated " only by prospecters and lumbermen who have a few 

 camps within the wilderness. 



The grayling is not quite equal in activity and pluck to 

 the trout; nevertheless, he is a superb game-fish and a great 

 acquisition to the angler's somewhat limited category. It is 

 quite as shy as the trout, fully as critical in his selection of 

 flies, and " contrary" about taking hold at times, although 

 the fish may be rising all around the vicinity. The average 

 weight in the Hersey is about half a pound. 



As to the trout, streams of Michigan, all those running 

 north into Traverse Bay and aU around the shore to Presque 

 Isle on Lake Iluron, contain the beauties ; but they are 

 found in but few of the peninsula streams, if any, that empty 

 into Lake Huron to the south of Thunder Bay, or in Lake 

 Michigan south of Grand Haven Bay. 



Note. — As a letter from Prof. Agassiz has appeared in the New 

 York Times, acknowledging tlie receipt of specimens of this grayling 

 for the Museum at Cambridge, I am disposed to give a brief history 

 of its discovery, the credit of which properly belongs to D. H. Fitz- 

 hugh, Jr., of Bay City, to whose attention it was brought some throe 

 years ago. Mr. Fitzhugh is an ardent sportsman, and student of 

 natural history. Recognizing at once the value of the discovery, and 

 anxious to establish its identity, he immediately sent specimens to Dr. 

 Thaddeus Norris, of Philadelphia, and Andrew Clerke, of New York, 

 for examination. The former pronounced it the " English Grayling," 

 about the existence of which in this country, he and the Hon. Bob 

 Roosevelt had quite a discussion. Mr. Gierke's specimen never reached 

 him ; but, last year, some more specimens were sent to him, and sub- 

 mitted to a coterie of experts, which included Dr. Clerke, Genio C. 

 Scott, Jos. Hart, Messrs. Abbey, Hyde, and others. The fish were so 

 decomposed, however, that the investigation proved quite unsatisfac- 

 tory. 



Here the question rested until last January, no conclusion having 

 been arrived at in the meantime. About the middle of the month, the 

 author of this book, feeling the importance of making it wholly reli- 



