110 TROUT LORE 



the speckled trout of the Big Water are an in- 

 stitution; but space is precious. There is one 

 phase of lake trout fishing which will be taken 

 up in a later chapter, "Bait Casting For Speckled 

 Trout" the confessions of an ichthyomaniac. 



Now we turn our attention again to the 

 smaller lakes, in which most of us will do our fish- 

 ing if we are to fish for speckled trout in lakes at 

 all. In my experience I have not found the fish 

 fond of overly deep water, ten to fifteen feet 

 being the limit. Sometimes one will discover 1 

 a "boiling spring" in the bottom of a lake, usu- 

 ally near the shore, look for trout in the imme- 

 diate neighborhood, especially along toward the 

 fag end of the season. If a creek empties into 

 the lake, fish its mouth; but use all your skill, 

 for the fish will prove wary unless the water be 

 dark or weather conditions "just right." Some- 

 times fish will be found amid the snags along 

 shore, very much as small-mouth bass are found 

 in Minnesota and Wisconsin. I am told by 

 anglers who claim to know that there are times 

 when speckled trout seek the very deepest por- 

 tions of the lake and can be taken only with a 

 "spoon hook"; though I have never had the ex- 

 perience. 



The words of Mr. Alexander regarding fly- 



