FIsHING THROUGH THE ICE. 201 

beneath the fringe of evergreens with their heads just barely 
nodding to the gentle southerly breeze. 
Changing our moccasins for the rubbers, we are soon at 
the cove handy by, and cut a half dozen holes. At first we 
cut through five or six inches of snow ice; this is from the 
snow and rains and an overflow from the ice settling, and the 
lake water mixing with the snows and freezing upon the 
surface. Here we find a thin streak of water between the 
two ices, after which a foot and a half of beautiful clear blue 
ice. Just before cutting through this, the sun shining down 
in, shows us many colors of the rainbow at the thin ice yet 
left in the bottom of the hole. Stopping to admire these 
beautiful colors for a moment, we give three or four very 
quick punches with the chisel and the confined water rushes 
quickly to the top and often well over the upper surface. 
Our chisel, in form like the carpenter’s slice, yet wider, 
thicker and much _ heavier, ground only upon one side, bevel- 
ling, with a five foot long, hard wood handle; it cuts fast 
and clean, and we soon have the lines placed, baited with 
fresh beef at the start, until we catch the little red fin roach 
which is preferable. A sprout or branch the size of a finger 
three or four feet long, is fixed firmly in the ice beside the 
hole, and /ow dowz upon this is tied the line; lowering the 
baited hook to the bottom, then raising it one foot, it is hung 
by a loop just upon a bud; the remaining slack is coiled and 
hung upon the bush. A trout taking the bait when we are 
not watching, the line falls from the bud in the water, giving 
him the slack to run away with, and swallowing the bait and 
hook and swimming on away, it brings up at the fastening 
below (a dead fast) and hooks the fish. And now we put to 
work our little fishermen. Fastening a small picce of birch 
