Weekly Trinity journal., 1878-03-16
EASTERN BROOK TROUT.

How many of us, now trout fishers in
California, have vivid and pleasant rec
objections of beguiling his congener in the
small and sparkling streams Of the far
Eastern and Middle States. There is
hardly cold and rocky stream in any
part Of New England or Northern, or
even among the mountains of the Middle
and Southern States, where this species
is not found in fair abundance, notwith-
standing the serious draught upon them
by all sorts of legitimate or illegitimate
modes of depicting them. In regard TO
weight, they alternately vary from three
to four ounces to two pounds ; and in col
or, according to the character of the
brook or river which they inhabit. So
apparent is this difference of color in this
family, that, in the several sections of the
country where they are found, they are
designated by the names of silver or fall
trout, as in Lake George and tho black
trout, as in many Of the smaller lakes or
"ponds " of New England. The only
civilized mode employed by the people
there for taking them is by the hook {;
but while the scientific angler prefers the
artificial fly with an appropriate reel and
light and rather pliabe rod), large num-
bers, rs in California, are annually des-
troyed by many grown persons, as we'll
as farmers boys, with the common hook
and earth worm. AS to the heathenish
mode of netting this beautiful fish, we
can only say that it merits the most earn
est condemnation Of every gentleman
and tho utmost rigor of the game laws,
and the penalty should be higher than it
generally is in most of the States both
East and West.
AS all anglers are aware, the common
trout, everywhere, is proverbially one of
the gamest and most skittish ofall the fin
ny tribes +; but when he happens to be a
little on the feed, he is as fearless as a
hawk, and at such times leaps nearly out
OF the water after the bait or fly, and
when hooked jumps INTO the air as il for
the purpose of defying the cunning of his
human enemies. According to our ex-
perience, the best bait for early spring
fishing is the common worm, if it be ad
miSsable at all by the true sportsmen !;
but for June, July and August, we pre-
fer the fly. In lake fishing sometimes
minnow Is preferable to either. The
great charm Of hy-fshing for trout is de-
rived from the fact that you can see the
movement of your fish, and if you are not
an expert hand, the chances are that you
will capture but few out of q hundred
that may rise to your hook. You can
seldom save trout unless you strike the
very instant that he rises or leaps. But,
even after this, deal of care is often re-
quired to land him in safety. II he is q
half-pounder, you may, if you will, pull
him out directly but if larger than that,
after fairly hooking him, you should play
him with sufficient amounto of line, which
when well done, is a feat full of delight
and poetry. The swftness with which q
trout can dart from his hiding place after
a fly is truly astonishing and we never
see one perform this operation without
feeling an indescribable thrill quivering
through our frame. The fact that il
seems to be the only fish in Europe and
the Eastern States which nature has des.
ignated by a row Of scarlet spots on the
sides, and in California with latera
streak, would seem to imply that she
deemed it the perfection of her fnny tribe
creations, and had therefore fixed upon il
this distinguishing mark of her skill
Vine Herald.