430 Fly-rods and Fly-tacHe. 



to locate and study the habits of the fish. Hardly had 

 we pushed from the bank when we saw a trout roll to 

 the surface over towards the birches. Three or four 

 casts in that neighborhood fastened it or another, which, 

 however, escaped after some five-minutes' play. A cast 

 or two rose another, which went off with a sore mouth, 

 the hook missing a firm hold. In less than two minutes 

 afterwards a four-pound female was fastened, and landed 

 after a capital fight. Another female of three and an 

 eighth pounds followed. This was an exceedingly gamy 

 fish, and took us well out in the pond before it was 

 brought to net. We had just disposed of that one when 

 up rolled a trout which seemed fully two feet long, and 

 slowly swam along the surface of the water for six or 

 eight feet with its back exposed. Around it, and in 

 plain sight, were some eight or ten other large fish, but 

 all of inferior size. Though more distant than the school 

 we had seen the day before, they were within reach, and 

 the first cast among them attracted the attention of one 

 of the smaller ones, which proved to weigh three pounds. 

 Subsequently another of unknown size was lost, and a 

 male of two and a half pounds was taken. All of these 

 fish were returned uninjured to the water. The next af- 

 ternoon the lady tempted fortune again, and cast for a 

 long time without encouragement. However, I am hap- 

 py to say that later in the day she took a female of four 

 pounds, which, for so vigorous and constant a fighter, 

 exhibited surprising endurance; also a smaller one of two 

 and a half pounds. 



It is diificult to draw any perfectly satisfactory gener- 

 alization from this, since we only know with certainty 

 that none of the trout we took on September 27th, 28th, 

 and 29th, 1884, weighed less than one nor more than two 



