376 



RECREATION. 



tain insects lay their eggs in certain fishes 

 for exactly the same reason that the house- 

 fly lays its eggs in barnyard refuse — simply 

 because that place has proved advan- 

 tageous. 



Fish are grubby in some waters and not 

 in others — for the same reason that people 

 in some places have yellow fever and those 

 in other places do not. Some 'waters may 

 be entirely free of any parasites that would 

 attack the fish. 



Parasites do not affect bass more than 

 any other fish. Some species will affect 

 bass, while other species will affect other 

 kinds of fishes. Perch probably get grub- 

 by where the water is impure and food 

 scarce. 



Probably perch, pickerel and bass taken 

 out of the same water will all be grubby; 

 but if not it is because the grubs which at- 

 tack perch and pickerel have no foothold 

 in that particular water. It is for the same 

 reason that one can find cows, horses and 

 chickens all in the same barnyard, but find 

 only the chickens affected with the gapes. 

 The particular grub which has a start in 

 that water probably does not thrive on the 

 perch or pickerel. 



B. W. Evermann. 



MY CATCH WITH A SPLIT BAMBOO. 

 G. A. C. 



In November Recreation I note an 

 article praising the steel rod and condemn- 

 ing all others. Without intending to start 

 an argument with Mr. Miner I am going 

 to tell what a greenhorn accomplished 

 with a bamboo rod. 



In September, '98, I was the guest of a 

 member of the Orleans Fishing Club, 

 which leases the Jeanotte river at Lake 

 Edward, Canada. My friend Jake stood 

 beside me on the bank, near the clubhouse, 

 while the gentleman whose guests we 

 were was casting on the other side. Sud- 

 denly Jake cried, "Did you see that?" 

 pointing at the same time to a series of 

 rings about 35 feet from shore. "Cast 

 just below that rock and you'll get a 

 dandy," he said. 



My arm was lame from casting, and it 

 took me some time to reach the spot. 

 In fact, I kept Jake and one of the guides 

 busy releasing my hooks from the trees 

 behind me. Finally the fly dropped like 

 a snow flake or a brick — I did not have 

 time to note which — for I felt such a tug 

 as I never felt before. 



"Look out! look out! 



"Don't give him any slack; reel him in! 

 Give him the butt! Don't let him get 

 down into that swift water! 



"You'll lose him!" and more expres- 

 sions of the same sort came to me in a 

 solid chunk all the time. Oh, if they 

 would only shut up and let me alone! 



Such a swishing, first up, then down. Fi- 

 nally my fish got into that swift water. It 

 took me fully 15 minutes to get him out of 

 it again, and 20 more to bring him to 

 shore, where old man Trombly stood 

 ready with the landing net. 



I fished no more that day, but when the 

 others were not in sight I would sneak 

 down to the water's edge and sit for min- 

 utes gazing at my prize swimming around 

 in the live box. That was on Friday about 

 4.30. We kept him in the box until Sun- 

 day noon, when St. Laurent, the guar- 

 dian, took him home, as we had enough 

 smaller ones for ourselves. The big fel- 

 low weighed 4^4 pounds, and the guide 

 said he had lost fully Y^ of a pound dur- 

 ing capitivity. He was caught with a 

 split bamboo, and a light one at that. 



The following day St. Laurent and I 

 went down below the club house, where 

 the river makes a curve and forms quite a 

 large pool. I was not able to get a rise 

 until the guide pointed out a spot to cast 

 at. Another jerk; and the guide cau- 

 tiously paddled the canoe away from the 

 spot. In a minute he said, 



"You have 2, a trout and an ouana- 

 niche." 



I must confess I did not know it. "Are 

 they big?" I asked. 



"Oh, yes ; trout he hab the Jock-o-scot 

 fly; he big, ">V 2 pound; ouananiche he hab 

 black fly; he 'bout 3 pound," answered 

 Achille. 



And to my surprise when he skillfully 

 netted both they weighed within % pound 

 of what he had said they would weigh. So 

 much for the other rods with their grooved 

 cordwood. I cheerfully admit that I broke 

 several tips going through the portages, 

 but not one on a fish, though I caught 

 some big ones, and am a greenhorn at 

 that. 



BROOK TROUT. 



S. E. STANTON. 



As the lawful season for taking these 

 most beautiful of all fish is now open, 

 and the subject is being entertained by 

 many persons, it seems opportune to pay 

 homage to the trout; also to consider 

 them with other ideas than those of taking 

 them. 



The use of colors to trout is not fully 

 comprehended by all persons, because of 

 lack of thought and study. Trout caught 

 ^fn shallow and clear streams have lighter 

 shades than those taken from darker 

 waters, shaded pools and spring holes. 

 The reason for this difference is that the 

 trout, like the chameleon, is capable of 

 changing its colors to fit its surroundings, 

 and this gift of nature is in a large part its 

 protection. Being dark on its back pro- 

 tects it from being seen from above, while 



