FISH AND FISHING. 



A GOOD DAY FOR DOUBLES. 



W. C. KEPLER. 



The long purple shadows of evening 

 stretched Eastward until they mingled in 

 one broad band, subduing the colors of the 

 foliage; and the more active sounds of day- 

 light hushed with the gathering twilight. 

 The soft voice of the river spoke more and 

 more distinctly; joined now and then with 

 the shriller voices that come with night. 



In this delightful twilight hour, with rod 

 in hand, I cautiously approached a deep 

 pool that I knew, where the big bass loved 

 to lie. Wild rice, now beginning its rank 

 growth, formed a blind, back of which I 

 could stand and cast almost to the farther 

 side of the pool. A short distance below, 

 Drummer and Tom were skilfully whipping 

 the water, every now and then dropping 

 bass into their creels. From time to time 

 they would advise me to keep up with the 

 procession. Drummer seemed anxious to 

 have me in sight; for, as I was i or 2 

 ahead at noon, he was keeping a close 

 tally on my afternoon's catch, for fear that 

 in some way I should outwit them. 



Unmindful of their attention, I loitered, 

 dropping my flies on the smooth surface of 

 the pools in every likely-looking place. 

 After one cast, there was a moment of un- 

 certainty; then, with a rush, a fly was 

 taken. Hardly had the fish started on his 

 first run, when a second shock set my rod 

 quivering. I had hooked a double. 



•What uncertainty, what anxiety, attends 

 such a catch! As you play the frantic pair, 

 how intense your eagerness to land them! 

 Here and there they went; sometimes 

 starting in opposite directions, but bring- 

 ing up with a surge that would have parted 

 any but a good sound leader. Sometimes 

 one was in the air, then the other; once 

 both at the same time. 



By careful handling, I gradually worked 

 back from the pool; gently urging them in 

 my direction. It was a difficult place, for it 

 was necessary to draw them through a nar- 

 row channel in the river-grass. Into this 

 the fish might easily dart, and by entangling 

 the leader, free themselves. However, I 

 managed to get them through and into 

 shoal water. Even then I was disappointed, 

 for the hook pulled from the larger one's 

 mouth and he quickly disappeared into the 

 grass. The smaller bass was easily capt- 

 ured. 



The result of another cast was* a repeti- 

 tion of the first: even down to the loss of 

 ■the best fish. Three times more my flies 

 landed in the pool; every time raising 

 doubles. Three pairs were landed safe. 

 The last cast brought the largest bass of 



the lot — a 3-pounder- -with a companion of 

 about 24 of a pound. 



After the last double, I tried once more; 

 succeeding in lightly hooking a good sized 

 bass, but lost him. 



Although I have hooked doubles before, 

 I never had the good fortune to land so 

 many. 



Leaving the pool, I soon joined my com- 

 panions. The broad tail of the 3-pounder 

 showed under the lid of my basket, and I 

 could see Drummer screw his eyes around 

 toward it. 



" Well, how do you like the sample?" I 

 asked him, exultingly. 



" Huh! Been using bigger ones for bait 

 all afternoon," was his calm answer. 



" What a liar you'll be, Drummer, if you 

 keep on! Better reform while there's time." 



" I'll leave it to Tom, here, if I haven't 

 been throwing back bigger ones right 

 along." 



I gave up; for what is the use of talking 

 to such a man! After you have told a true 

 story, that has a spice of novelty about it, 

 he will tell some outlandish lie — no matter 

 if the moss does cover it — and all hearers 

 will laugh. Then you will feel as if your 

 own true story was a fabrication. Some 

 day that man will die, and I shall probably 

 be hanged for murder! 



LAKE TROUT FROM MONTANA 



Magdalen, Mont. 



Editor Recreation: I have read in Rec- 

 reation the notes of Mr. Cummins and 

 Professor Evermann, regarding Mackinaw 

 trout in Elk lake, near the Madison divide, 

 and as I live within a mile of that lake I 

 can give you some information that may in- 

 terest ichthyologists. 



The picture on the cover of Recreation, 

 for February 1896, represents the fish as 

 nearly as I can judge. I should say it is the 

 same fish. The question as to whether these 

 trout will bite has never been definitely set- 

 tled. We have caught them with a net and 

 have speared them at night, with a jack. As 

 Mr. Cummins says, 8 pounds is the largest 

 one that is known to have been caught, but 

 many have been taken that weighed 3 to 5 

 pounds. 



They spawn in the slide rock, at the edge 

 of the lake, in September and October, the 

 eggs being very large. The lake has no 

 visible inlet nor outlet, except in the spring, 

 when it overflows and a small stream runs 

 out for a month or so. I irrigate from the 

 lake and last spring when the overflow was 

 running I opened my dams and let a lot of 

 greyling run into the lake. These grow to 



54 



