420 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 



dusted with a soft brush if any foreign matter is seen, 

 the book will be free from moth eggs. It then only 

 remains to keep the mature moths out so that no fresh 

 eggs can be laid, and the problem is solved. For years 

 I have dusted out my fly-books in this manner, and then 

 immediately tied them up tight in a linen bag, and have 

 never had any trouble since. 



What angler, as he has removed his catch from the 

 hook, has not again and again said to himself, " I won- 

 der how old it is ?" and if this is true of the small fish of 

 the brook, how much more frequent and earnest must be 

 the inquiry when the leviathans of the Rangely Lakes 

 are under observation. 



Some there doubtless are, though their number is daily 

 diminishing, who still question the existence of brook 

 trout of the size said to inhabit those waters; but they 

 are invariably those who have never seen them in the 

 water, or fresh from it. It is not surprising that one 

 who regards a two-pound brook trout as a very monster 

 should stare with incredulity when specimens of ten and 

 eleven pounds are spoken of, more especially if he be fa- 

 miliar with the wide discrepancy usual between the esti- 

 mated and the actual weight of these fish. If he really 

 knows anything about the subject, and has seen many 

 such statements as one which fell under my notice a 

 couple of years ago that a trout eighteen inches long 

 had been caught in the head-waters of a certain river, 

 which weighed five and a half pounds after it was dressed 

 his faith must indeed be quite crushed, and unable to 

 answer the most trifling call upon it. 



There really is a fearful amount of lying honest, not 

 mendacious lying about the weight of trout. Let me 



