AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 



113 



and when it slackens, wind up again, until you nearly ap- 

 proach him. You will then, probably, observe him float- 

 ing on his side, his motion feeble, and all his vigour gone. 

 Being unable to make any farther resistance, it behoves you 

 now to lead him gently to the nearest shelving-shore; use 

 no gaff, as it mangles the fish very much, but take him 

 softljr by the gills into your arms, or throw him, if not too 

 heavy, upon the top of some adjacent bank. 



As the Salmon is seldom in the rivers in time for the 

 spring fly, the May fly is often imitated as a lure for him, 

 but is only an imitation, as it has to be made of gigantic 

 dimensions. The only fly of which a natural imitation 

 makes a good salmon flj', is the dragon fly. The best baits 

 are large, gaudy artificial flies, lob-worms, line fish baits, 

 and muscles from the shell; the hook must be strong and 

 large; bottom fishing, however, is usually more successful 

 for salmon than fly fishing. 



The TROUT has justly been styled "the monarch of the 

 brook," not only, perhaps, from the superiority of its meat 

 over other fish, but from the great diversion in fishing for 

 them, and the superior science required to constitute a suc- 

 cessful fisherman. 



The plan usually followed for trout fishing, by those who 

 may be called scientific trout-fishers, is with the artificial 

 fly, attached to a long, fine line, wound upon a reel, which 

 is fastened to the handle of the pole, and in consequence 

 of the great shj^ness of this fish, stand some distance from 

 tlie water, to prevent being seen. The trout is a quick 

 and sharp biter, and not very particular as to the kind of 

 fl}^, rising as well to an artificial as a natural one; but, 

 being very voracious, they fall victims more generallj' to 

 those who are styled bottom fishers: in this case, the bait 

 consistsof lob-worm, earth-worm, dung-worm and maggot. 

 Fishing with an artificial fly is, certainlj^, a very pleasant 

 and gentlemanly way of angling, and is attended with much 

 less labour and trouble than bottom fishing. The fly-fisher- 

 man has but little to carry, either in bulk or weight, nor 

 has he the dirty work of digging clay, making ground baits, 

 &c. &c. He may travel for miles, with a book of flies in 

 his pocket, and a light rod in his hand, and cast in his bait, 

 as he roves on the banks of a stream, without soiling his 

 fingers; it is, therefore, preferred by many to every other 

 way of angling. Yet fly-fishing is not without its disadvan- 

 tages, for there are many kinds of fish that will not take a 

 fly; whereas, all the different species which the fresh waters 

 produce, will take a bait at bottom, at some season of the 

 year; and it is also worthy of notice, that the angler who 

 fishes at bottom has many months and days in the j'ear, 

 when the fish will so feed; consequently he has frequent 

 opportunities of enjoying his amusement, when the fly- 

 F f 



fisherman is entirelj^ deprived of the chance of sport, by 

 very cold or wet weather, and the winter season. 



Trout delight most in sharp, shallow streams, sometimes 

 lying under a large stone, or shelving clump, at other times 

 swimming, and seemingly striving against the stream; 

 the}' are also found in such cold water, that no other fish 

 can live therein. They will also live in clear, gravelly 

 and sandy bottomed spring ponds, with a stream running 

 through, but will not thrive so fast, or breed so well, as in 

 rivers; after spawning, they retire into deep, still holes, 

 and under shelving banks, and there remain during the 

 winter season, in the course of which they become very 

 poor, and lose the beautiful spots of their bodies, instead 

 of which they are much infested with a worm or water- 

 louse, and the heads of trout, at this season, seem much 

 too large, and their whole appearance is lean, lank, and far 

 from that of a beautiful fish: but when the days lengthen, 

 and the sun gets sufiicient power to warm and invigorate 

 the elements, then the trout seems to have a new lease of 

 his life, leaving his hiding-place, and getting among the 

 gravel, in rapid parts of the streams, and with much hearty 

 rubbing, speedily gets rid of his troublesome and filthy 

 companions, who have so long infested, or stuck to him, 

 and then soon recovers his former shape and colours. 



The nest in the catalogue of our favourite fish, ranks the 

 silvery ROCK fish, and which form not only a subject of 

 the most common amusement, but is universally known 

 in all the rivers and smaller tide-water streams throughout 

 the United States. The manner of fishing and prejjara- 

 tion necessary for it is so well known, that a description is 

 deemed unnecessary, at this time. The following selec- 

 tion, however, from the American Turf Register and Sport- 

 ing Magazine, describing the manner in which this fish is 

 trolled for in the Susquehannah, raaj'^ not be uninteresting. 



" The season for trolling begins in the latter part of 

 May, and commonly ends about the middle of July; but 

 some years lasts during August. In the month of June, 

 the rock fish generally bite best. To make good fishing, 

 the river should not be very high nor low, muddy nor clear, 

 but betwixt extremes, in these respects. If the water be 

 clear, the fish dart off at sight of the line; and it is thought, 

 they leave the rapids, when the river is rising, or muddy, 

 to feed upon the flats in the Chesapeake. 



"Trolling is very much practised from Port Deposit, to 

 almost any given distance up the river, but not below. The 

 grass that the ducks feed upon, grows too thick on the flats 

 in tide-water for trolling, and the channel is uniformlj' too 

 deep. The raj^ids above, where the water is in many parts 

 shoal, and the rocky bottom clear of grass, is the proper 

 place for trolling. 



