134 With Rod and Gun in New England 



Returning to the tent I awakened my companions and reported to 

 them the condition of the water. 



" I expected a great rise in the river," said the Doctor, " for there was 

 a heavy fall of rain nearly all night, and the small outlet of so large a lake 

 must, of necessity, be filled." 



" Well," added the Judge, " it will bring up the fish, and we must 

 endeavor to prevent some of them from running up into the lake, for after 

 they get there we are powerless." 



" That 's true, Judge," I responded ; " they will not rise to the fly, or, 

 in fact, will not notice any kind of lure." 



Of course instances are on record of sea salmon being taken with the 

 fly while in fresh-water lakes, but they are not many in number. I have, 

 time and again, seen the salmon and grilse jumping all around me in such 

 waters and have used my best efforts to induce them to come to my flies, 

 but they always refused. Fresh-water, or so-called landlocked, salmon act 

 differently, for they will not only freely take the trolling minnow but will 

 also sometimes take the fly. 



Our usual bathing-place was covered with water, the temperature of 

 which was considerably reduced, but we, nevertheless, enjoyed our dip and 

 the subsequent brisk " rub down." A royal breakfast was ready in a short 

 time and we discussed it with our usual appetites. 



Among my meals in the woods the breakfast is the most enjoyable, 

 and no item in it is relished more than a huge dipper of coffee. I am 

 more fastidious about this drink than are most people. I used, formerly, 

 to bring with me from the city a mixture of two-thirds Java and one-third 

 Mocha, but found this last-named berry a trifle too rich, and I now prefer 

 a pulverized mixture of Java with one-sixth Mocha added, and the solution 

 must be filtered, not boiled. I also prefer an enamelled coffee-pot to a tin 

 or agate one. Such coffee is a beverage fit for the most dainty, and it will 

 not injure any one. 



Our guides, of course, drank tea. I never could understand why they 

 prefer this decoction, which, to me, is insipid to a degree, but I have 

 noticed almost invariably that guides and other woodsmen refuse coffee if 

 they can have tea, and such quantities as they drink, too ! I have seen 

 one replenish his pint dipper twice at a meal, and strong tea at that ; such 

 a dose would give me indigestion for a week. 



After we had finished breakfast the guides took one of the canoes 

 down the falls into the pool below, and the Judge, with Hiram and William, 

 were soon employed. 



The Doctor, Francois and myself took the other canoe for a trip up to 

 Big brook, expecting to have good success among the spotted trout. 

 During our trip up the lake the Doctor put out a large, bright trolling fly 



