TROLLING. 483 



its parts and strengthening its joints in preparation for the 

 momentous struggle! We impatiently questioned our oracle, 

 George Holland, as to the chances of success in trolling; 

 but George, like all other oracles, was both prudent and 

 mystical. He saw that we were determined that it should 

 be in season, whether or no; that we would take some 

 salmon trout, "bite or no bite;" and therefore he waived 

 answering our questions directly, but told of his success four 

 weeks ago ; said the day was not very fine for 'em but we 

 might try, and if they did bite, we would probably take 

 some ! Encouraging, very ! and the sly twinkle in the fellow's 

 eye, still more so ! But we hadn't come two hundred miles 

 to be discouraged, and we went. 



My friend had new-rigged his tackle with the painstaking 

 skill of true science while I, who pretend to no knowledge 

 of the niceties of art, had left mine to the experience of 

 George. The " shiners" were taken for bait with a dip net 

 at the outlet, and then in a light boat we launched upon 

 the lake. We were two in a boat which is contrary to all 

 precedent, as laid down in the Journal of Lake Piseco Trout 

 Club, which has been appended to Wiley & Putnam's elegant 

 edition of Walton and Cotton. There it is described ex 

 cathedra, as follows 



The trolling is done by rod and reel, each fisherman 

 using two at the same time ; the reels are improved by 

 having a bearing upon them instead of a catch, so that the 

 rod may be laid clown with the line extended without running 

 out, unless struck by a fish or some other obstruction. When 

 a fish seizes the bait the oarsman quits his oars, the other 

 is handed to him, and he reels up the line to prevent its 

 falling upon the bottom, or the fish, from entanglement. 



This, of course, implies one fisherman to a boat but with 

 such an oarsman as ours, we found there was not the slightest 

 danger of entanglement, with one at each end, while the 

 oarsman was left free to use the gaff without an/ risk of 



