BIRCH BROWSINGS 



we floated out and wet our first fly in 

 Thomas's Lake ; but the trout refused to 

 jump, and, to be frank, not more than a 

 dozen and a half were caught during our 

 stay. Only a week previous, a party of 

 three had taken in a few. hours all the fish 

 they could carry out of the woods, and had 

 nearly surfeited their neighbors with trout. 

 But from some cause they now refused to 

 rise, or to touch any kind of bait ; so we 

 fell to catching the sunfish, which were 

 small but very abundant. Their nests were 

 all along shore. A space about the size of 

 a breakfast-plate was cleared of sediment 

 and decayed vegetable matter, revealing 

 the pebbly bottom, fresh and bright, with 

 one or two fish suspended over the centre 

 of it, keeping watch and ward. If an in- 

 truder approached, they would dart at him 

 spitefully. These fish have the air of ban- 

 tam cocks, and, with their sharp, prickly 

 fins and spines and scaly sides, must be 

 ugly customers in a hand-to-hand encounter 

 with other finny warriors. To a hungry 

 man they look about as unpromising as 

 hemlock slivers, so thorny and thin are 

 they ; yet there is sweet meat in them, as 

 we found that day. 



113 



