THE MASQ'ALLONGE. 309 



The natural bait is not often found to answer, perhaps 

 from the insignificance of the size ordinarily employed, 

 and the fly is never successful ; in fact, as may be 

 supposed, it would be quite useless to try it with a fish 

 habitually keeping at so great a depth. The usual and 

 most deadly lure is the "spoon," which, though resembling 

 nothing in nature, and devoid of taste or smell, appears, 

 for what reason it is difficult to imagine, to be perfectly 

 irresistible to this as well as to many other fish. This 

 attractive instrument, which is simply a piece of brass 

 or other bright metal shaped like the bowl of a spoon, 

 with a large hook fixed on it, is made to spin by 

 means of the swivel, in the same manner as the 

 minnow in ordinary trolling. The angler, provided 

 with this simple and enduring bait, with a stout rod and 

 very strong tackle, is pulled gently and slowly along in 

 a scow over the weedy depths of the lake, having out 

 sufficient length of line to keep his hook as far as possible 

 away from the oars or paddle, which are otherwise apt to 

 scare away the fish. 



In this way Masq'allonge of 30 or 40 Ibs. may often 

 be taken, not of course so plentifully as trout or salmon, 

 yet the amount of time and excitement involved in a 

 single capture is almost equal to an ordinary day's fishing. 

 I do not of course allude in any way to the practice of 

 affixing the bait, as is sometimes done, to a sea-line or 



