BROOK TROUT 



he rapidly changes the scene of the struggle from the 

 bottom of the water to the surface and back again to 

 the bed of the river or lake, neglecting no opportunity 

 of entangling the line about stones, or bushes, or weeds, 

 or fallen trees, and of cutting it upon the rocks. If the 

 fish be too much forced, the hook may readily be torn 

 out of his mouth. If he contrives in the course of his 

 rushes toward the angler to gain the slack of the line, 

 he may shake the hook out of its hold and go free. 

 Not infrequently the fisherman is handicapped by a 

 second and even a third fish seizing one or other of the 

 remaining flies of the cast, and in the see-saw game 

 which follows he is fortunate indeed if he preserves his 

 tackle intact, no matter whether he succeeds or not in 

 saving his whole string of fish. 



The huge sea-going specimens of fontinalis which 

 run down out of Canadian rivers into the salt water, 

 to fatten upon the flesh-pots of the briny deep and to 

 burnish their mottled sides till they shine with a silvery 

 polish rivalling that of a freshly run salmon, are worthy 

 of a chapter to themselves. They are caught up to 

 eight and ten pounds each, and when impaled upon 

 the hook of the angler offer just as good sport as that 

 afforded by grilse, played and taken under similar cir- 

 cumstances. Many claims to a distinct variety have 

 been made for some of these sea-run specimens, but 

 Jordan and Evermann have not yet been persuaded of 

 the incorrectness of their present classification. For 

 further details respecting these and other Canadian 

 46 



