Miscellaneous Suggestions, 433 



But if the beginner will take a piece of bristol board 

 as long as the pocket of his fly-book will conveniently 

 hold, mark one edge in inches, and then copy the fol- 

 lowing table upon it, he will be able by it to ascertain 

 the weight of the trout he takes very closely without 

 weighing. 



i pound 9 inches 3 pounds 19 inches 



llj " 3 " 20 " 



f " 13 " 4 " 21 " 



1 " 14 " 4| " 22 



li " 15 " 5 " 



If " 16 " 6 " 



2^ " 17 7 " 



2| " 18 " 



Suppose we wish to ascertain the weight of a trout, 

 and have no means of weighing it. If we cut a twig 

 to the length of the trout over all that is, from the 

 end of its nose to the extreme end of the tail fin as- 

 certain the length of the twig by the inch marks on the 

 strip of bristol board, and then consult the table, we 

 will learn his actual weight so nearly as never to be 

 put to confusion should our statement of its weight 

 be confronted with proof of its actual weight. As 

 the size increases, the margin of possible error increases. 

 If the fish is not over 19 inches long, and is in normal 

 condition, neither unusually thin nor unusually hog- 

 backed, the table will probably give its real weight 

 within an ounce one way or the other. Should you 

 take a trout 22 inches long, for example, he will ap- 

 pear to be a very large trout. I have heard such esti- 

 mated, even by experienced anglers not accustomed to 

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