422 AMERICAN FISHES. 



of John C. Holmes, at Lake Pleasant, will find good accommodation, 

 and " honest John", will secure a good guide and a good boat ; and 

 from experience I can safely recommend Cowles, Batchellor, and Mor- 

 rell, of Lake Pleasant, as faithful, honest, persevering, safe and skil- 

 ful guides and oarsmen. 



Trolling is solely done from the boat. The troller.sits with his face 

 to the stern ; the oarsman in the middle, or rather near the bow, and 

 rows slowly and gently along the lake ; about one and a half or two 

 miles an hour is the proper speed. 



8th. The Manner of Striking the Fish when the Bait is 

 Taken. — Should there be much wind, thirty-five yards of line is suf- 

 ficient to run out — if calm, say forty-five or fifty. When a fish is -felt, 

 the tip of the rod should be eased off, or given to the fish, in order that 

 he have time to take hold ; then give a good surge of the rod^ and you 

 will rarely miss striking him. Should you be fishing with two rods, 

 which is almost always* the case, pass the other rod to the. oarsman 

 Never give the fish an inch, unless by actual compulsion ; invariably 

 keep him in hand — feel him at a distance, but still be kind and gentle, 

 not rude or rough. Do not show the gaff until you know that the fish 

 is " used up ;" if a small fish, run the net under him ; and if the fish 

 is spent or exhausted, he will fall into it ; but if he shows life, draw 

 him over the net. If a large fish, use the gaff, which pass under him, 

 with the point downwards ; then turn it up inside, and strike as near 

 the shoulder as possible. I say shoulder instead of tail. 



1 believe that I have now done with this branch ; but let me say, 

 that no good troller uses lead or sinker of any kind. I have seen it 

 used, but used to the destruction of sport and tackle. Sinkers carry 

 the hooks to the bottom, and there you stick either to root or rock. 



When trolling, you take, on the average, more fine Brook Trout 

 than Lake Trout. I think that two to one is correct. 



One word as to the sporting quality of the Lake Trout. The nine 

 pound and a quarter Trout, before mentioned, may perhaps be an ex- 

 ception ; but I do affirm, that the Lake Trout is a fish of game, spirit, 

 and endurance. 



I have killed them from one to sixteen and a half pounds. The 



