CREEPER FISHING. 1 63 



captured in an April morning, the best half-dozen 

 weighed 5 pounds. In another morning in May, 

 out of twenty-one trout, the best half-dozen weighed 

 5^ pounds. On a bright afternoon in June, also in 

 the same year, we went out for the purpose of fishing 

 a single favourite stream. There were half-a-dozen 

 anglers on the stream when we began, and we only 

 got eight trout, but these weighed 6 pounds ; and 

 on a May morning in 1861 we killed a dozen, the 

 best half-dozen of which weighed 6J pounds. In 

 Leader Water, in June 1863, we caught three dozen 

 and nine, which weighed 14 pounds. The largest 

 trout we ever killed was with creeper, and it weighed 

 3^ pounds. Indeed, we do not know of a bait, 

 except the minnow in flooded water, that can fill a 

 creel with larger trout than this insect ; and those 

 who angle with it know that they are but little 

 troubled with the small trout and fry that some- 

 times almost pester a man's existence out of him 

 when using the artificial fly. 



