184 



With Rod and Gun in New England 



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Photo, by N. C. Nash. 



A Hunter's Camp in Winter. 



than a highly-colored trout ? There is hardly a fish that will compare with 

 it in grace and elegance. The devotees of trout fishing are all enthusiasts, 

 and their name is legion." 



"Yes, trout fishing, when followed with the love the true angler feels, 

 is an enjoyable sport," replied the Doctor, " but there are more enthusiastic 

 black-bass fishermen than of any other fish." 



"Yes," added the Judge, "and many other of the fresh-water game 

 fishes are followed with equal zest. The pickerel, for instance, is a fish 

 that many delight in catching." 



" Yes, Judge," said I, " the pickerel has been well called ' the poor 

 man's game fish'; it is one of the most generally distributed of all the 

 species, will thrive in almost any fresh water, and in addition to its other 

 qualities, it is far from unattractive on the table, particularly when it is 

 taken in the spring, when the water is pure and cold." 



" There are several species of pickerel," remarked the Doctor, " and 

 they vary greatly in general appearance." 



"Yes," I added, " there are several species, but the fish that is usually 

 called the pickerel is really a pike, which sometimes attains a weight of 

 fifty pounds, while the pickerel proper rarely exceeds five pounds." 



