ANGLING ON THE HARRISON 209 



" Why not ? " 



" These big fish take no bait in this river," came 

 again the emphatic declaration. " We can net some," 

 he said, as a concession to the disappointed shrug 

 of my shoulder. 



" Look here," I said, " 1 have three hours before 

 my train goes. Take me out for that time. I will 

 make it worth your while." 



" Yah, sure ! but we'll catch no fish. How will that 

 suit you ? " 



" Never mind, you won't lose anything by it." 



We started in a light boat, and I mounted a 

 2-inch spoon, gilt on one side and silver on the other, 

 using a strong gut trace with a light sinker. Flies 

 I judged out of the question in such deep water. 



Taking the centre of the river, the Indian rowed 

 me down-stream for a quarter of a mile. I utilized 

 the time in carefully noting the direction the fish 

 were taking. The centre, where the water was deepest, 

 did not seem to be their course so much as the sides, 

 that nearest the right bank being the favourite run. 

 The current took that direction, and there were a 

 good many large rocks and other conditions favour- 

 able to the formation of pools where the fish rested. 

 The water on the left bank was weedy in places, 

 which indicated a slackness in the stream in that 

 direction. 



I trolled a short line on the way down, but fishing 

 with the current is never very successful. The Indian, 

 p 



