340 
Forest and Stream 
ago that a pickerel snapped the snell of a 
strong hook ? 
Their tackle does not differ from that 
of the usual country lad, but consists 
of two birch poles, ten feet or so in 
length and well selected for lightness and 
spring. 'To these are tied stout lines with 
the hooks carefully knotted to the other 
ends. Two corks, slit lengthwise, making 
them easily adjustable, and small pieces 
of lead, no doubt flattened twenty-two 
calibre bullets, fastened near the hooks, 
complete the young angler’s outfit. Some 
day these boys may have costly rods 
and fish in distant waters, but never will 
they have a better time. Angling, like 
other cherished recreations, offers a 
charm, deep and realistic, to every one 
who is so inclined. 
The slight spring breeze makes a soft 
ripple upon the water and sets the lily- 
pads and water-grasses in a merry mo- 
tion, so that the surface of the lake 
beats with life. A plump minnow, one 
of the many caught in the river the pre- 
vious afternoon, is selected, and the hook 
put through its lips. The other boy, for 
different reasons, pierces his “ininnie” 
in the tail ; his theory being that the 
pickerel swallows its prey head first, and 
this places the hook in a natural posi- 
tion to get a secure hold in the pickerel’s 
bony mouth. 
As they part to try their luck alone, 
each with his share of the live bait, 
they shout, “We’ll meet here, remember, 
in about an hour.” One of the lads, 
slightly the taller of the two, moves 
along the border of the pond and deftly 
drops his line near the edge of a growth 
of pickerel grass ; a good spot like this 
must surely bring results. As soon as 
the minnow strikes the water it makes 
frantic efforts to escape, but the line is 
too strong, and the adjusted cork keeps 
it in the proper place, a foot or two 
from the bottom. The little minnow is 
soon exhausted, and now the cork is 
still. 
Standing there at the edge of the 
lake many things present themselves to 
the young fisherman. Little green leop- 
ard frogs with their eyes just above the 
water lie motionless, while their big 
cousins, the bullfrogs, are sunk in the 
mud, no doubt saving their voices for 
the evening. The leaves of the trees 
have been out for several weeks, but 
their color is still a beautiful green, while 
the laurel bushes further up on the bank, 
with their pink blossoms, give a delight- 
ful touch to the scene. 
'VWHILE he is absorbed in his sur- 
^ roundings a little sunfish, the 
“punkin-secd” of Connecticut, swims 
near, but it need be in no fear of hooks, 
for one would hardly run ‘the risk of 
losing a pickerel in the attempt to catch a 
‘“punkin-seed.” Whether or not the sun- 
fish Avas a forerunner of good luck, it 
is hard to tell, but at any rate, no sooner 
had it disappeared when down goes the 
cork and up goes the expectations of the 
lad. Although he has caught others be- 
fore and knows the danger of hasty 
striking, his desire to land the fish is so 
strong that he jerks too soon and tears 
the minnow from the pickerel’s rough 
mouth. This is one of youth’s misfor- 
tunes — and that pickerel was such a big 
one, too. 
Swallowing his disappointment and 
resolving to count at least five before 
striking the next time, he baits up in a 
second with the largest “minnie” in the 
pail ; the pickerel might return any mo- 
ment. After waiting some time with no 
results, he feels that the fish must have 
been frightened. A change of base is 
then decided upon and the lad continues 
downstream until a jetty is reached. 
This is an ideal place for skittering, so 
much room for action, and it is out of 
the question to pass it by. A greasy 
parcel is taken out of his pocket and a 
strip of salt pork takes the place of the 
minnow on the hook. With the pole 
By using a fly-rod greater sport can be obtained with pickerel 
grasped in his extended hand he skitters 
the line across the water at a steady 
pace, sometimes letting the pork splash ® 
in the w'ater and then allowing it tc 
sink two or more feet, but always is 
the bait in motion. At the third or fourth 
cast, something is felt on the hook, his 
brown hand can feel a touch through 
many feet of line, and he know's that it 
was a pickerel which struck and missed. 
Two more casts and he is rewarded. 
The big pickerel, for big it is, bends the 
rod into a graceful curve and uses tc 
advantage every inch of line. Now it 
makes for the pond-lilies, but its course 
is checked by the unceasing tension 
from the pole. Now the strain is not sc 
severe ; it has neither the ability of the 
trout nor the strength of the bass, but 
although its movements are irregular 
it has not given up. The boy, keeping 
a taut line on the fish, sees that it is 
weakening, and pulls it from the water. 
It is a fine specimen and the young an- 
gler has every right to feel proud of it. 
It is fully twenty-three inches long and 
later, on unprejudiced scales, weighs 
two and one-half pounds. 
A shout from up.stream announces his 
partner’s success, and as he returns tc 
the meeting-place he sees that his com-* 
panion is proudly carrying two pickerel 
on a switch. A comparison of the fish.l 
how'ever, shows his to be three inches 
longer than his chum’s largest, and so. 
although behind in number, he has 
caught the best fish of the morning. 
'"PHE above sketch is a typical New 
England scene in the spring-time : 
boys of all ages gathered about the lakes 
and rivers intent on fishing. While this 
method is well adapted for school-boys 
the fish, when hooked has little chance 
to escape, and as one grows older and 
more experienced, he wishes to have 
more sport enter into the fishing. To 
further this cLsire to give the fish “a 
square deal” anglers are using the light- 
est kind of tackle and are being repaid 
by the stout struggle the pickerel makes 
before weakening. 
The months of May and June afford 
the best angling: at this time the pickerel 
have an unusual amount of vim and 
seize the bait savagely. As the davs 
p'row warmer the weather reacts on the 
fish, so that in midsummer the fishing 
is poorest, but after this point is reached 
a change occurs, and with the cool 
nights of late August and September we 
find that the pickerel has regained its 
vigor of the spring season. These few 
weeks in the year when the fish does 
not appear at its best, coming as the\ 
do in midsummer, arc unfortunate foi 
the angler who fishes only in the hot 
weather. 
-Although conditions under which pick- 
erel are cauo-ht differ, I have found tha< 
a flv-rod about nine feet in length and 
having sufficient backbone to stand a 
fair amount of strain, is most desirable 
Bv a method known as strinniup ver\ 
accurate casting mav be attained quite 
as satisfactorv as with the shorter cast- 
ing-rod, and there is the added eomnen- 
sation of a harder struggle when the 
fish is plaved on a fly-rod. An oiled 
or enameled silk line contained in a 
! 
