Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-07-23
HOW TO FISH FOR TROUT.

There are many reasons for this. among
others the following: In fishing up
stream the bait is continually coming
home to ones feet after every cast, and
the nearer it approaches the person, the
less chance of bite. The contrary is
the case in fishing down stream; the
bait is carried by the current away from
the fisherman, and his chances Of capture
are each moment increased.
If the brook is large enough-and
even in very small ones-if practicable.
it is always best to wade in the bed of
the stream, as by this means one can
keep the bait in the water for long dis
tances without making a cast, which, in
the localities l am speaking of, almost
always, unless skillfully done, ends in
ones seeing ones tackle fast to some
Overhanging bough or bush overlapping
the stream. Csc light but very short
jointed pole, not over twelve feet in
length, with fine delicate running gear
and small compact reel; small hooks,
gauged upon silk-worm gut, of any make
one prefers, there being great diversity
of opinion on this matter among fisher
men Put no lead upon your line at any
time; it kills the artistic and natural
motion of your bait. Use, as the most
killing bait yet discovered, angle-worms /;
and these may be much improved by
being kept few days upon clean moss
in an uncovered, large-mouthed bottle,
that they may scour themselves. In
batting, do not pay the slightest atten-
tion to whether the point of your hook
is covered or not; it is of small conse-
qnence, or rather it is more deadly and
better not to be covered than otherwise.
The trout does not nibbLe, he darts; he
takes, as a rule, the bait at once, or
leaves it severely alone. You will find
no more taking bait the year round than
angle-wOrms, although grasshoppers at
certain seasons are very killing. In
batting, take worm by the middle and
pierce the hook through small portion,
say, half an inch; then put on another
in the same way at the same time. II
the fish are very small, half worm
treated in this manner will do; but a
trout has large mouth, and large
bait no doubt attracts. The dangling
ends Of the worms placed as above upon
the hook have a peculiar and natural
motion of their own in the water, which
a hungry trout is utterly unable to resist
while one may, on the other hand, cover
the whole hook and part of the gut with
worm stifly strung on without motion
and the same trout will let it be carried
past him by the current without wlnking
There is great science in batting
and it chiefly rests in the skill of having
the worms lively, and with the extremi
ties left dangling. When you have ;
bite, do not pull at all, but strike YOU
fish, as it is called; this is done by ;
motion of the wrist, sharp, short, abrupt
not jerk-a motion which is commenced
sharply, but ends almost instantly ant
abruptly. 1t is done by bringing tn
fnger-nails, which are downward, hold
ing the rod, suddenly to the left ant
upward, moving the end of the pole up
ward and to the left some one or tw
feet. Having struck thus, you will il
most cases have captured your fish. B
in no hurry to land him; that is sim
pier thing to do; you can do it at you
leisure. The great mistake often mad
by those who do not understand thi
sport is to puu the moment they have
bite; the result usually is to see th
trout wind himself round about som
limb overhead, or if he fail to be hooked
which is often the case in pulling, to Sc
the bait and hook in the same position
causing loss of time, patience, and to
often temper, especially when you fee
confident that there are other trout i
the pool ahead, and become aware of th
fact that you have got to make splas
and dash and complete exposure of youl
self to get at your dangling line, so tha
you may fish in vain in the same poC
afterward. Remember that trout al
very shy, and once having disturbe
them, it is useless to fish for them.-
DouoldS Ernzdr. an HGrper'S MaQGzsn