A Sportsman 425 



man, Col. H. C. Nutt, one season after the ice had 

 freshly made. We had skated up the lake five miles 

 to take our lunch there. The Colonel regretted the 

 passing of the fly-fishing season, of which he was an 

 ardent votary. I said, "Well, you shall have some if 

 you want." He said that that was not possible, as the 

 waters were frozen over. I rejoined, "Nevertheless, 

 you shall have some. ' ' He was incredulous, and offered 

 to wager that he could not. "Very well," said I, 

 "but I don't want to win your money on a sure thing; 

 but I will wager you a big cigar or a box of cabman's 

 thirds that I will take a trout with a fly right here from 

 the platform in front, and put him in your hands within 

 five minutes from the time I commence fishing." 

 This offer was taken. I then had my man go in front 

 with an axe and break up the ice, which was between 

 2 and 3 inches thick, over a space of 10 by 15 

 feet. Then we put in a boat from an adjoining 

 cover and rocked it in a violent manner, driving 

 the ice out of the broken place, some over the ice and 

 some under. We then went in for lunch half an hour, 

 and after I reached down a fly-rod, equipped, from 

 over the door and cast, the Colonel standing 

 with his watch in hand. On the first cast my trout 

 struck, and in three minutes from the start I placed 

 a third-of-a-pound trout in the Colonel's hands. I let 

 the Colonel go on then, and he caught with his plain 

 fly from twenty-five to thirty trout in a short time. 

 The water where we fished was not over 3 or 4 feet deep. 

 The trout were of moderate size, the largest not being 

 over half a pound. The spot I had long known as a 

 favorite spawning ground for small trout, and perhaps 

 over a hundred were left there. 



