62 With Rod and Gun in New England 



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"Haul in the killick, Hiram," exclaimed the Doctor, "or he '11 take 

 the line." 



The killick was quickly lifted, and the canoe followed the fish as it 

 moved away from the ledges. 



" What are you fastened to, anyway," asked the Doctor, as we were 

 almost being towed around by the fish ; "it does not act like a trout." 



"If it's a trout, it's the father of them all," said Hiram, plying the 

 paddle, " but he does not play like one ; he hangs down too much to the 

 bottom, but he pulls like a bull dog." 



For many minutes I gave the fish all the lift that my tackle would 

 bear, but he was unconquerable. The fight was kept up until we had 

 drifted from the ledges nearly a mile, the fish keeping down deep in the 

 lake until my line was nearly all off the reel. 



"That is no trout," exclaimed the Doctor; "it must be a water horse, 

 judging by the way it pulls." 



At length, after a good half hour had passed, the fish began slowly to 

 yield, for the strain of a rod, even a light one, is very great, * and as he 

 slowly arose to the surface I packed my line on the reel as rapidly as 

 possible. 



At last the fish came to the surface, and after a few struggles it lay 

 on its side and permitted Hiram to use the gaff, which he had so wisely 

 brought in the canoe. 



" Ha, ha," chuckled the guide, " a landing net must be a big one for 

 such a fish ; lucky it was that I brought the gaff." 



" Just as I suspected," said I, as Hiram killed the fish and then held 

 it up for our inspection ; " it 's a tuladi, or togue." 



" It is, upon my word," exclaimed the Doctor, pointing to the forked 

 tail of the trout; " I did n't know there were any here." 



" Oh, yes," said Hiram, " we call them lake trout; we don't get many 

 of them, and I never before knew of one taking the fly ; sure he 's a homely 

 cuss, anyway, and his mouth is big enough to swallow a duck." 



The fish was of a grayish color on the sides with a few spots and 

 mottlings, the back was of a dirty greenish color, and the belly was nearly 

 white. We weighed it and found that it registered about twelve pounds. 



" That 's a pretty good sized ' laker,' said the Doctor, as Hiram packed 

 the fish with the others, " but he is not large when compared with some of 

 the togue which are taken in many of the New England lakes." t 



* An instance has been recorded of a strong man, an expert swimmer, 

 being unable to overcome such a strain, although he made repeated efforts 

 and put forth the greatest exertions. — E. A. S. 



fA togue was taken in Moosehead in 1896 which measured forty 

 inches in length and weighed twenty-nine pounds. Record is made, how- 



