THE AMERICAN TROUT. 31 



course, and insisted upon rowing slowly and carefully 

 for shore at a shallow place sheltered from the wind, 

 although I greatly feared the hook would tear out or the 

 rod snap under the strain of towing both weeds and 

 fish ; once near shore, he deliberately forced an oar into 

 the mud and made the boat fast to it, and then taking 

 up^the net, watched for a favorable chance. He waited 

 for some time, carefully putting the weeds aside, until a 

 gleaming line of silver glanced for a moment beneath 

 the water, when darting the net down, he as suddenly 

 brought it up, revealing within its folds the glorious 

 colors of a splendid trout. That was the way to land a 

 trout under difficulties, although I still think I could 

 have done it successfully by myself. . 



Generally, the utmost delicacy should be shown in 

 killing a fish, but there are times when force must be 

 exerted. If the fish is making for a stump, or even 

 weeds, he must be stopped at any reasonable risk of the 

 rod's breaking or the fly's tearing out. A stump is the 

 most dangerous ; one turn round that, and he is off, leav- 

 ing your flies fast probably in a most inconvenient place 

 and many feet below the surface of the water. Bui 

 remember the oft-repeated maxim of a friend of the 

 writer's, who has been with him many a joyous fishing- 

 day, that " One trout hooked is worth a dozen not 

 hooked." Small trout are more apt to escape than large 

 ones, because the skin round the mouth of the latter is 

 tougher. With either, however, there is risk enough ; 

 the hook is small, and often takes but a slight hold ; the 

 gut is delicate, and frequently half worn through by 

 continual casting. 



