CHAPTER XXIII. 
TROUTING ON JESSUP’S RIVER. 
WE could not remain quiet long at a time, for my restless 
friend had not yet had a fair trial of the “flies” at trout. 
After all, laugh at Piscator’s violent passion for it as I 
may, the sport which lasts longest, is the most abundant, 
the most admired, and most practised by the frequenters of 
the Lake country, is that of taking the speckled or brook 
trout with the rod! 
The larger lakes afford good trolling grounds, when resorted 
to in the right season ; but the trolling season, which begins 
in March, is too early for the majority of anglers, who cannot 
leave their spring business for mere sport. But when summer 
comes, business is over; then the rejoicing anglers, like chil- 
dren broke loose, from school, scatter abroad over the moun- 
tainous places of the land, literally gasping with panting 
bosoms for fresh air. 
To such it makes little difference, when they reach here, 
to find that the fishing-grounds for trout are not close at 
hand, but that they must go yet farther from five to thirty 
miles, among the rough wild hills, to fresher streams, amidst 
valleys deeper than these. It seems strange, to be sure, and 
very provoking to them, if they go without a proper knowledge 
of the season—to find that these wide clear sheets, with all 
their inlets and outlets, are but so much dead water to them 
—affording no sport after the tenth of June, worth notice. 
But they are soon over this, for the mountain breezes are 
very inspiriting ; and with expanding chests they look towards 
the blue ridges with emulation, and brace themselves up tc 
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