94 With Rod and Gun in New England 



After partaking an early dinner, we embarked in the canoes for a visit 

 to the mouth of " Big brook " for the purpose of procuring a fresh supply 

 of trout, our stock having become nearly exhausted. Six men who are 

 actively engaged in the woods have vigorous appetites, and no small num- 

 ber of trout is needed to meet their wants. 



A light breeze was blowing as we paddled up the lake, which made a 

 good ripple on the surface of the water. 



" The wind is fair for a ripple at the mouth of the brook," said the 

 Doctor, as we moved merrily along. 



" Yes," replied Francois ; " good ripple this afternoon, big trout come 

 up to fly; too much wind bad ; just enough, all right, good." 



Our canoes soon reached the outlet of the brook and the killicks were 

 dropped. Preparing our tackle we began casting. We used two flies on 

 our leaders, and in a short time we found we had all our guides could 

 attend to, the average weight of the fish being over a pound. A few large 

 ones were taken, the Doctor being fortunate to hook and land a pair that 

 weighed over six pounds. 



" We '11 try smoking them," said the Doctor, when the fish were killed ; 

 "but I have no great faith in their proving very desirable." 



" No," I answered, " the fresh-water trout, as a rule, have not enough 

 fat in their tissues to smoke well. I have tried to cure them in that man- 

 ner two or three times, but they did not prove to be epicurean delights; 

 they were dry and hard, and greatly inferior to a smoked salmon." 



" Gentlemen," exclaimed the Judge, as he landed his tenth pair, "this 

 is a slaughter. I am done." 



"Yes," answered the Doctor, reeling up his line, " we have enough 

 in all conscience ; ' wicked waste makes woful want.' " 



My companions belonged to that school of sportsmen who never kill 

 more than can well be used, and, as for myself, in all my outings I think I 

 never wasted a pound of meat or fish. To stop when enough is secured is 

 a good rule to adopt and adhere to. Some will continue fishing long after 

 they have taken a proper number, and return the fish to the water, but 

 this, with trout, is a bad practice. Unless the hands are thoroughly wet 

 that remove the hooks from the mouth of the fish, a confervoid growth is 

 likely to form on the fish, which sickens and weakens them, and sometimes 

 kills them. 



With black bass there is not so much danger of this, and it is often 

 the case that ardent anglers at the lakes at Belgrade Mills, Maine, where 

 bass are more abundant than anywhere else in New England, catch and 

 put back into the water from one hundred to two hundred fish in a day. 



The killicks were soon lifted and the return trip down the lake was 

 begun. The breeze had freshened considerably while we were taking our 

 fish, but busy as we had been we did not notice it ; as we passed around 



