374 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. 
gigantic animated letter T, I crossed the portage with a 
formidable array of lines and artificial baits, full of most 
mischievous intent toward the finny tribe. This day the 
surface was broken by that desirable ripple, whether it be 
for trolling or fly-fishing, and dark clouds occasionally 
darkened with their shadow the face of the water. With 
exhilarating freedom, deep I dipped my paddle, pushing 
for the rocky end, waiting till I had crossed the centre of 
the lake before I commenced to fish; for, as a rule, unless 
there should happen to be a reef, seldom any fish will be 
taken far from the margin. When alone in a canoe one 
line will be found-as much as can be conveniently attended 
to, for the navigation of your craft requires both hands. 
Getting under good headway, I soon had twenty-five to 
thirty yards of line astern, with a few inches of red cloth 
for lure, which proved so attractive that I almost immedi- 
ately had a break, and in a moment or two afterward a fish 
hooked. For two or three hours such was the sport, which 
continued with never over a few minutes’ cessation. 
As I pushed slowly along the shore I came to a river 
previously unknown to me, and which I have since learned 
is the only outlet from this lake. The edge of this stream 
was fringed with a dense net-work of weeds, and the chan- 
‘ nel had scarcely a perceptible current. On breaking full 
in view, several dozens of wild duck rose, conspicuous 
among whom were many of the beautiful wood-duck, a 
gem among his brilliant-plumed race. The sedgy nature 
of the shore here predicted a more than ordinary favored 
retreat, so, replacing the red cloth by a large Buell’s spoon, 
with some scarlet ibis’s feathers tied along the shanks of 
the hooks, I tried my fortune, and such was my success 
that, before I ceased, the bottom of my canoe had a goodly 
show of noble bass and pike—so many, that I was satisfied 
to select three or four for present use and hide the others, 
