208 



RECREATION. 



many trout of 5 pounds and over. One, 

 that I remember in particular, game out like 

 a 6 inch trout, turned in the air and took 

 the dropper fly that was dancing on swift 

 water. He weighed 6 pounds. Most large 

 trout caught at Upper Dam, Maine, are 

 taken by a fly danced over swift water. 

 How a trout can take that without raising 

 is a mystery to me. 



Young fishermen and some old ones, get 

 the idea that the trout in Maine are just 

 waiting for someone to cast a fly over them 

 to be caught. A man going there should 

 figure that he will earn every fish he gets. 

 There are plenty of fish and big ones at 

 that; but if most of them cannot describe 

 every fly ever tied, it is only because they 

 can't talk. 



J. C. Dougherty, New York. 



shirt; the rest, underclothing, socks and an 

 old watch all went to the bottom. After I 

 had my laugh I swam across with one hand, 

 holding my rod in the other. When my 

 clothes were dry we started home with g 

 trout, which we voted a poor showing. 



William S. Muller, Brooklyn, N. Y. 



HIS FUSE WAS TOO SHORT. 



While spending my vacation with a 

 friend, A., at Copake lake, N. Y., we made 

 the acquaintance of a fellow sportsman, 

 Roy, who invited us to accompany him 

 trout fishing. We started the following 

 morning, taking some sandwiches with us. 



A. used a salt water rod, a rude imple- 

 ment for this work. He wore my hat, and 

 Roy's leggins, while a card-board box 

 wired to his belt answered for a bait-box, 

 and a landing net fastened in the same 

 manner served as a creel. I used my broth- 

 er's bass rod and Roy, a Bristol steel rod 

 — one of Recreation's premiums. 



As we could not fish all together, Roy 

 and I went toward the source of the stream, 

 while A. went alone 3 miles down and 

 worked up. Roy gave me the lunch which I 

 placed under my blouse. Then we began 

 to whip the brook, and I guess I did alto- 

 gether too much whipping, or rather 

 splashing, as Roy got 2 strikes to my one. 

 Soon we became separated, and after a few 

 hours' traveling I met A. who was on the 

 opposite bank. He had 3 trout in his 

 pocket, having lost his net. In a few mo- 

 ments Roy appeared on the same side as 

 A. and immediately requested that I throw 

 over the lunch. This I did, and they sat 

 down to do justice to it. 



That did not satisfy my appetite and I 

 decided to cross. I could find no place 

 narrow enough to jump nor shallow 

 enough to wade, so I took off my shoes, 

 threw them across, undressed, tied my 

 clothes in a bundle, swung it in the air a 

 few times and let go. When the bundle 

 got half way over it burst, my things fell 

 in the water and shot off with the swift cur- 

 rent. A. and Roy were laughing them- 

 selves into convulsions, and my repeated 

 appeals to them to gather up my fast dis- 

 appearing clothes were greeted with fresh 

 outbursts and with suggestions that I go 

 home in a barrel. Finally, and with great 

 difficulty, A. fished out my trousers and 



A WEEK OF RECREATION. 



My long wished for vacation was fast ap- 

 proaching. I had written to a friend who 

 was to accompany me, to be on hand Au- 

 gust 10th. Bass fishing had been unusu- 

 ally good at Forest lake, the most beautiful 

 spot in Columbia county. Most of the bass 

 there are of the small mouthed variety, 

 weighing one to 4 pounds and exceedingly 

 gamy. 



We reached the lake late in the afternoon, 

 but did not fish until the next day. We 

 were not obliged to use a tent, there being 

 a cottage equipped with everything one 

 could wish for. The first thing we did was 

 to obtain provisions and bait from a near- 

 by farm house. It was dark when we got 

 our purchases to the cottage, and lighting 

 the lantern, we went to the boat house and 

 put the boats in order for an early start. 



Next morning, before sunrise, we jumped 

 into the boat and pushed out on the mist 

 covered surface of the lake. As there was a 

 slight ripple on the water, we decided to 

 troll for pickerel. Ed. rowed and I took 

 the stern with fly-rod and artificial minnow. 

 We had gone nearly l / 2 mile without getting 

 a strike. Suddenly there was a fierce pull 

 on my line. It slacked and then my reel 

 sang as the fish made a mad rush of at least 

 200 feet. When all but 50 feet of line had left 

 the reel he turned and came toward the 

 boat. As he came near enough to be seen 

 Ed. said, " He seems played out; I think 

 you can land him now." But the pickerel 

 had a different opinion, and before I could 

 check him, had again unwound 200 feet of 

 line. It was 10 minutes before I pulled him 

 in, lifeless as a log. Before 8 a.m. we had 

 landed 10 beauties and quit. 



The following day we tried the bass. Be- 

 fore sunrise we had anchored the boat in 

 about 40 feet of water and were fishing with 

 frogs for bait. Ed. was the first to get 

 a bite but by striking too soon lost his bait. 

 I had a similar experience. We again 

 baited and threw in. Almost before my 

 bait touched the water it was seized. Out 

 went my line until 250 feet separated the 

 fish from the boat and as the bass jumped 

 nearly 2 feet out of water, Ed. exclaimed, 

 " A 4 pounder, sure! " The fish went un- 

 der the boat and broke water on the other 

 side. I at last brought him within 3 feet 

 of the surface. Ed. had the landing net 

 ready, but the fish would not wait for it and 

 made another run of 150 feet. I reeled him 

 in slowly and Ed. scooped him up. He 

 was a small mouth, Weighing 3 2-3 pounds. 



