AMERICAN TROUT FISHING 

 It fights madly and leaps again and again. As far as my experience goes 

 it never resorts to the tricks of an old brown trout, but when landed is 

 completely exhausted. Rainbows over twenty pounds have been killed on 

 spoons, and it seems probable that the big steelheads that run up the far- 

 western rivers are a sea -going variety of the rainbow trout. There are 

 Cutthroats, Dolly Vardens and black-spotted Rocky Mountain trout, also 

 the rare Golden trout, but I know nothing of these fish from personal 

 acquaintance with them. 



When one visits unfamiliar country in pursuit of sport a few letters 

 of introduction may prove most useful in guiding one to the fishing one 

 desires. I take it that most of us prefer fly fishing and a reasonable number 

 of trout that are really first-rate in size and condition, not great numbers. 

 I have fished lakes and streams in wild country where anyone, no matter 

 how inexperienced, could take great numbers of trout, but this soon palled 

 upon one. The fish were too small to make it exciting, and, except a few 

 for camp use, were returned to the water. One going to the wilderness 

 expects to find large trout. The Tucker and Feather rivers in California 

 have a great reputation and the Klamath in Oregon hold very large fish. 



One might remain in the east and go northward as the season advanced. 

 Maine, New Brunswick and Newfoundland offer great inducements to the 

 angler, and I should like to visit Prince Edward Island when the sea 

 trout are running. There is so much glorious country in the United States 

 and Canada, wonderful mountains, rushing rivers and great forests, as 

 well as lovely pastoral regions with gently -fiowing streams, verdant 

 meadows and waving grain. Even the sun-baked plains and arid sections 

 have beauties all their own, but these last are not for the fisherman. 



It would seem to be an easy matter to find just what we desire, yet care 

 must be taken, and trustworthy information secured in advance, to avoid 

 needless disappointments. Men who have the habit of exaggeration or 

 who speak confidently from hearsay knowledge sometimes lead one astray. 

 One of the former once sent me off full of pleasurable anticipations on 

 a journey of more than 300 miles, only to find a large stream that had 

 been ruined by the lumbermen. All's well that ends well, however, and a 

 good native angler directed me to a perfect piece of dry-fly water, where 

 I thoroughly enjoyed myself for a week. It was one of those limestone 

 streams, mostly slow flowing and rather deep, full of trout food and 

 carrying a great head of trout. Such waters may be hard fished yet afford 

 fair sport. 



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