PICKEREL. 175 



covered with the ibis feather, or left uncovered, as expe- 

 rience shall dictate. Bright spoons are preferable on 

 dark days, and for mascallonge the oldest and most suc- 

 cessful fishermen use no feathers or flannel. Avoid 

 purchasing any spoon with small, dangling hooks, or with 

 more than three or less than two, or with any fastening 

 of any kind except wire or gimp. Nothing else will for 

 a moment stand the terrible teeth of these ferocious 

 monsters. I once had an expensive imitation pearl fish, 

 that was fastened with thin brass wire, bitten off by the 

 first pickerel that touched it. If you use a reel, you will 

 of course use your ordinary bass line ; if not, purchase a 

 common stout hand-line, and troll with from forty to fifty 

 yards out. Your trolling-rod must be short, stiff and 

 strong, not over ten feet long, and can be readily made 

 by adding a stout top to your but and second joint; 

 while, for weed fishing, you must have a long, stiff rod, 

 and when the fish are heavy and tangle themselves in 

 the weeds, which their first rush will often do, you must 

 reach your line and draw them out by hand ; by taking 

 hold of the wire or gimp, you can readily land a ten- 

 pound fish. 



These fish, both pickerel and mascallonge, can be cap- 

 tured in immense numbers in the St. Lawrence, at Cape 

 Vincent, Clayton, Alexandria Bay and many other 

 places ; in Lake Champlain, near House's Point ; and in 

 all the lakes of Canada ; but they are dull sport in the 

 catching and poor food in the eating. Believe no one 

 who boasts of the fine flavor of the mascallonge . cook 

 him as you will, he is nothing but a dirty, flabby, taste* 

 less pickerel. And as for the sport, carry a blanket with 



