418 AMERICAN FISHES. 



OF TROLLING FOR LAKE-TROUT 



IN HAMILTON COUNTY, NEW-YORK 



(BY A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) 



I PROPOSE, in this connexion, to treat of this fine and exciting sport, 

 describing 1st, The rod ; 



2nd, The reel ; 



3rd, The line , 



4th, The leader, and train of hooks ; 



5th, The bait and flies ; 



6th, The bait-kettle ; 



7th, The boat and oarsman, or guide ; 



8th, The manner of striking the fish, when the bait is taken. 

 And lastly, 9th. How to play, and gaff the fish. 



1st. THE ROD. A mutual friend of ours, who writes occasionally 

 for the " Spirit," and who is a most skilful troller, wrote an article 

 which appeared in the " Spirit " in the fall of 1848, signed " M., Mas- 

 peth, Long Island," in which he gave a capital description on most 

 of the above heads. I wish you had the paper, as it is all that is to 

 be said on the subject. 



The trolling-rod spoken of by you on page 327, would answer, to 

 wit : the barbed rod. * * * had two of the most perfect trolling 

 rods I have seen ; they were made by Ben. Welch, of Cherry-street, 

 and are all bamboo cane. I had one made by George Karr, of Grand- 

 street, which I like very much ; and I will describe it the best way 1 

 can, although it is no easy matter to describe on paper a rod of any 

 kind : Length from eleven to thirteen feet ; butt of ash, thoroughly 

 seasoned, about one and a quarter inches in diameter, or about as thick 

 as an ordinary Bass-rod. The butt should be hollow, to contain spare; 



