5*8 



RECREATION 



The lake covers So acres, varying in 

 depth 33 feet. There is an abundance of 

 water supplied from several brooks, each of 

 which from their source is under the con- 

 trol of the club; there are also many cold 

 springs in the bed of the lake. In stocking 

 the streams, mill pond and lake, nothing 

 but wild, square-tailed trout have been used. 

 The fall before the dam was finished 500 

 six-inch trout were placed in the brooks. 

 In 1 90 1, 30,000 fry and 3,000 fingerlings 

 were placed in the club's waters. In 1902, 

 20,000 fry and 12,500 fingerlings were dis- 

 tributed. *In 1903, 75,000 fry were used for 

 stocking purposes. 



Fishing was for the first time allowed on 

 May 1, 1902, and from that time to Sep- 

 tember 1 between 400 and 500 pounds of 

 trout were caught. No more fishing was 

 allowed in the lake until June 9, 1903, and 

 from that time until September 1 there had 

 been caught over 1,400 pounds of brook 

 trout. 



The average weight of fish caught during 

 the last two seasons was over one-third of a 

 pound, though quite a number weighing 

 more than a pound each have been taken 

 during that time. 



In 1902 a small building to accommodate 

 about twenty persons was built, but since 

 then a modern clubhouse, 54 feet by 30 feet, 

 has been erected. 



Vermont is proud of Lake Mansfield 

 and of the Lake Mansfield Trout Club, but 

 there would be nothing there to be proud of 

 were it not for the spirit of Ethan Allen 

 returned from out of the West in the breast 

 of one of her prodigal sons. 



On Sunday I was once more in Benning- 

 ton with my friend Chase, and the weather 

 having continued exceeding fair for three 

 days, we gave up the plan of a fox hunt for 

 Monday to have a look at a deer yard and to 

 try to meet up with a certain small black 

 bear that Chase had lost at holing-up time 

 in December. 



Chase borrowed a hound with a reputa- 

 tion as a bear dog, and the weather con- 

 tinuing warm, we started out with high 

 hopes. But we reckoned not with the east 

 wind, and after we had tramped eight miles 

 over muddy roads and climbed a mountain 

 we found the weather much too disagree- 

 able for any sensible spring bear to be out 

 of doors. No doubt the bear or bears that 

 made the tracks we saw on the snow on the 



. . . I snapped a picture of them intently listening 



