New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1846-07-09
Letters from the Bsckwocds...So. I.
Correspondence of TIE Tribune,



,ocr.cy of fishing jas, as rise shooting ia that OF
hunung. ANY body can knock over bird with
double barreied sho, gun loaded with gill OF sno
but to pick Of squirrel Sfty or sixty yaros WIZ
single bulle, not much larger than buck sho' re-
qures steady hand and q true eye 80 10 letcn ou'
q S.h after he b as swallowed bait bali way Gown
his ,hroa, 10 no ditscalt matter, but with single
feather and miniature hook TO begoile cunning
old trou, from at, bole and book him the moment be
breaks water and then with your slender thread Of
gut 10 fetch him safely ashore, requires The deli
cafe appreciation of trouta sense and perfect
knowledge of his habits 10 say nothing Of political
rickery and humbuggery Do you understand the
habits Of trout and the way to catch them 1t re-
qaires long experience and close observation to
cheat the knowing ones. Now there is as grea, q
young one as there is between child aud
Your tyro in fishing will drag a stream all day end
catch nothing but small once, while cute fisher -
will fetch out noble fellows, apparently without ao
effort In the first place The brown and black hacke
all the flies you need-ihe black being capital
drop Hy in dark weather. In the first place except
in spring usually lie al the lower end Of hoe
where the water Ia somewhat, shalow-bst is when
they are hungry. 10 this position they have fair
view Of The whole pool above them, and can zee
whatever the current brings over the rocks or logs
that ali that is it cat is perceived before il
reaches them If they remained at the head of the
hole the rapid cddies would carry past them meny
a noble worm or substantial bug that would make
half breakfast. Well. approach the pool cautious
ly, sod if you can get behind bush or stump so
much the better II not crouch down, for the large
ones are coy a maiden-then cast your line. and
lot i, float down the current; or throw ii below,
which is better, and drag ii up in an oblque direc
ton. In floating your fly down, the trout has fair
opportunity and time view the humbug before he
takes The leap and sometimes after sway ing his tail
backward aad forward few times and gradually
and gracefully lifting himself half way to the surface
he will settle back 10 mis- place convinced that is
not safe 10 lake such looking object into his mouth
Sometimes single move OF the rod will make fly
give hop perfectly natural that the trout will
change his opinion in an instant and quick fash
of lightning he is after 1t. But in throwing 6e'o
trout and drawing up he is taken more by surprise,
and hs soon as the fictitious fly passes his head
he springs like frenzied creature for ii.
Slaud with me here q moment while | cast my
fly into that pool made by a dozen rocks. Splash
foam! and noble fellow goes to the bottom with
my hook A single pull and away goes my smell,
and both my flies together Some defect or hurt had
weakened the leader and the strong fellow parted ii
for There is another pool In which have raised
one three times without being able TO hook him.
But here is waterfall, and the stream goes pouring
over the rocks with the sound Of thunder, sending
it's spray heavenward and making the old forest echo
again. Where the waters take sweep after their
mad plunge an eddy is formed covered with foam
and bubbles that beautifully with the dark
depths beneath II is pool that makes fsherman's
eye dance. But, 10! as approach, behold q man
with rod and line coolly angling away, and has
been angling for quarter of an hour. His hook is
loaded with worms sufficient TO tempt the most fas
,idious fish, but he has taken nothing. With the
second cast great fat lazy fellow, weighing be-
tween one and two pounds rolls up and goes 10 the
bottom with my line, with plunge that makes my
slender rod culver. i've him lire, the pool is
broad aud smooth and after a while his strength
gives way, aud he allows himself TO be drawn
ashore with scarcely struggle Thus go on ill
niue poonds are taken, and then | trudge back 10
have some OF the fellows for dinner
But you should have seen suffering fellow
fishing with grasshoppers in sill pool in which
the trout lay quietly nj the bottom, while swarms
of Little scaly fish, called here dace and sinners
covered the surface. He had tried for long time
to get his hook below to the tro2t, but the lille
rascals seized the srasshopper the moment ii
touched the water, and tore il of in grea, gee.
Too small 10 take in the hook and 50 be caught
themselves. and yet active enough 10 manage the
tender bait. Shey at length so, the poor fellow in
tearing passion. he turned red in the face. slut
tered and swore like q rooper-no~ jerking his
rod with violence tina, threatened 10 break it in
two, and now dropping bis line carefully among
the unconscious little fish, whose perfect GOODNESS
and impertinence only increased 1enfold his rage.
His powerless anger was irrcsistibly comicsl. and
he forgo, his in his mad desire revenge him,
self on the dace and sinners. AT length he sue
ceeded in taking one. and he held the little fellow
wgsling in his hand moment ill he could lake
him from the hook aud then thrust him savagey into
his mouth, and began chewing him wiki fierce
ness that made the fshs head crack like lambs
scull in tigers mouth, saying as be chewed away,
ID darn You i-ih ,h.thGt 5 the way III s0rre
YOU" On You would have rolled in uncontrosble
laughter TO have seen it.
Nothing strikes one so fresh from the city as the
foyes, birds. There are songs he never heard in
the 6elds-wild. wood notes that have clearness
and depth in their tones never heard amid civilized
life. There is the wood-thrush with shrl. load
ringing note like that Of fife; sind bird never
heard before walkers me every morning sbout three
O'Clock with one of the strangest songs ever lis
tened TO. 1t is like slow, clear whistle made by
drawing in rather than throwing out, the breath
II must be solitary bird for there is something
melancholy and compsnionless in its strain
The other dsy as was fishing nv ,.s,ea,iou was
arrested by OF the queeres, strains ia, ever pro
ceeded from bids throat. look ed up. and
there on limb near me small forest bird
with which / was perfectly familiar. be, which
had never heard produce such sounds before He
mus, have been wounded or hurt in III throat some
way, that hi. vocal organs had beco ne dersnsed
hoGsht a, 6rs, that there must be some other IN