Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1875-05-26
WY FIRST TROUT.

NoN, 'llciC WIS HOl lIllttll liOil-
fishing in the neighborhood where
my grandfather lived. In fact, no
one knew where there was any front
except one old man, the landlord Of the
tavern. lie would take his horse and
wagon, drive off before dayllg ht, and
come home with a fine string of fish.
He never would tell any one where
he went. I went one day and said
to him, conhdentally:
"A[r. Dickey, want to catch some
trout. Can you tell me where to
go?'
"Why," he said, go up along Bull
brook, and you'll find some"
knew, by the way he said it, that
he wasn't telling me where he went
Still, made up my mind would 60
to Bull brook and try there. Bull
brook was about three miles from the
village, with not single house for
miles around. 1t was a lonely place,
full of thickets, and was called Bull
brook because q great many cattle
were pastured about there.
Early in the morning, | started off
with my pole, which being jointed
could be carried very conveniently.
trudged along the road, which kept
winding and growing more and more
lonely and dismal, on account Of large
beach-trecs and poplars and gloomy,
looking pines which grew along the
side Of the road, and almost shut out
the sunlight, | felt little afraid
q meeting a cross bull, but | whis-
tied Il lively tune, and marched on
bravely.
At last | arrived at the brook, and
got over the stone wall at the side OF
the road. There was thick growth
of bushes along the edge of the stream
so that | had to walk some distance
before found an opening where
could get close to the water. Every
thing was so still that | felt rather
nervous and almost expected to see q
fierce bull rush out upon me from
somewhere Crickets were chipping,
and different kinds of insects were
buzzing and humming. No othel
sound. But bark What was that
A splash in the brook.
A bull-frog, thought /. looked to
see if could discover him. There he
was in the bottom OF the shallow
brook. No, OH closer inspection that
was not bull-frog. 1t couldn't be q
fish, for fish swim around, and this lit,
tie dark thing, whatever it was, was
lying quite still on the bottom,
Just then, while ! was wondering
what it was, grasshopper, which had
jumped by mistake into the middle Of
the brook, went kicking along on the
top of the water. In an instant there
was CLEAN just where the grasshop
per was swimming, and before you
could say "Jack Robinson the grass
hopper was gone. I was no longer il
doubt about the queer thing at the bot
tom of the brock. 1t had disappear
ed. ] knew it must be a trout.
"Ah !" said l to myself, "I'll catcl
you, Mr.. Trout Then wont the
folks in town be surprised, and wont
they want to know where | caught
him !"
l actually believe | thought more
at that moment of what the people
would say than I did of catching the
trout, / was quite excited. l trem.
bled all over. | captured agrasshop
per, and my hand shook while l was
putting it on the little hook. l got
behind bush and very carefully low
cred my line until the bait touched the
surface of the water.
/ was terribly excited, as much so
\ as if the brook was big cannon and
the moment the bait touched it there
would be a tremendous explosion