A BOOK OF FISHING STORIES 



or more in weight, when the fish, with a mighty heave, would 

 be flung far over the angler's head. I once took sixteen trout, 

 averaging f lb. in weight, out of one mountain pool. Then 

 the rise ceased, because I had caught every trout the pool 

 contained. 



Rainbow trout have been referred to. This game and de- 

 lightful fish was first discovered, or invented, I believe, in the 

 inland waters of the North American continent, for which 

 discovery let all anglers be duly grateful. During later ex- 

 peditions to the North Platte River in Wyoming I found 

 that the whole situation for the angler was changed by reason 

 of the successful introduction by Wyoming State authorities 

 of rainbow-trout into this river and its tributaries. The trout 

 throve amazingly, and increased rapidly in weight and numbers. 



I strolled out from the Old Pick Ranch one autumn day 

 in the year 1897, with my trout-rod in my hand, intent on 

 casting a fly into the streams and pools of the river I had 

 known for so many years, but had never previously fished. Our 

 ranch manager said the trout were there, though, not being 

 a fisherman himself, he had not caught any. The statement 

 was, of course, accepted, but I wanted practical proof never- 

 theless, and in my own mind was not fully convinced without 

 it. As a matter of fact, none of the boys on the ranch knew 

 anything about fly-fishing, and no trout had been so far caught 

 in this particular part of the river, though thousands of trout- 

 fry had been turned in twenty miles lower down at Fort Steele 

 during the previous two or three years. 



So I put up a cast of three fair-sized Scotch flies, and com- 



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