268 



AMERICAN FISHES. 



tady by the Fish-house, and from the St. Lawrence it is accessible to 

 the Canadians by the Black River or the Racket. 



These waters abound in the Brook Trout, and the great Lake Trout, 

 whereof a word more hereafter, though he very little merits a word ; 

 and good accommodations can now be obtained in many places 

 through that of late inhospitable region ; but much of the pleasure of 

 a trip thither is destroyed by the swarms of mosquitoes, and yet worse, 

 of venomous acupuncturing black and sand-flies, which phlebotomize 

 almost beyond endurance the hapless unacclimated stranger who ven- 

 tures into their demesnes, between May and the latter days of August. 



Beyond this I will only add that the haunts of the Brook Trout 

 closely resemble those of the Salmon ; that they lie lurking for their 

 passing prey under great stones at the head or tail of swift glancing 

 rapids, in the small deep pools between, beneath the roots of great 

 trees which protrude from banks over swirls and whirlpools, in holes 

 under weirs and sluices, and in no place more frequently than at the 

 tail of mill-races 



The best and heaviest fish do not begin to feed until twilight, after 

 which, for about three hours, they are exceedingly voracious, reposing 

 again after that until daybreak is at hand, when they again feed for 

 an hour or two, lying quite still, and oftentimes refusing the most 

 tempting baits during the whole of the day-time 



I have been told lately, and see no reason for doubting the accuracy 

 of the information, that great sport may be had by baiting any well- 

 ascertained haunt in a stream with the common Cray-Fish, his shell 

 being cracked to pieces for several days in succession, previous to 

 fishing it with a fly. 



From the Brook Trout I pass on to his nearest relations, the 

 various kinds of Lake Trout, Mackinaw Salmon, Siskawitz, and, as it 

 is called erroneously, Salmon Trout of the lakes. 



Before closing this article, 1 have judged it well to quote a few re- 

 marks on Trout-fishing, from that admirable work, Hofland's Angler's 

 Manual, inasmuch as they are in the highest degree appropriate to the 

 Trout-fishing of America generally, while the observation on bush- 

 fishing, dipping or dapping, will be found of great advantage to the 

 angler for small Trout in the beautiful tumbling mountain-stream? far 

 inland, in our northern and north-eastern States. 



