Morning journal and courier., 1882-04-24
Trout and Fronting.

Trout and TrOuting.
 A Few Hints Regards Rods and aCast, Etc.
 From the Hartford Post.]
 For weeks, aye since the last seasons trout fishing closed, lovers of the noble sport of angling have been anticipating the pleasures untold, which they, with hundreds of others would indulge in as soon as the law was of, /, and, realizing the fact that the hours pass quickly and that time is precious, have spent their leisure moments during the past few weeks in examining their tackle, making the necessary repairs, acquainting themselves with the points to be found in sporting books, and making arrangements for the days to be spent in angling and the ground or rather the water to be fished, and last but not least compiling story to relate to their friends when they should return from their days sport with the conscious fact of having caught none of the speckled beauties but with basket full of the gamey fish. Dealers in and manufacturers of tackle have been unusually busy filling orders, and if this activity is an indication the trout streams must within few days run dry of this fish, and prices must come down so low as to en- able people of moderate circumstances to live sumptuously, but there evidently is no danger of this as the generality of most anglers are but mean fishermen, understand but little of the habits of the trout and how to catch them, and merely partake of the sport because fashion demands it. The
 VETERANS
 in the business have by experience made the necessary repairs in their hooks, fly books, rods, etc, while the newly initiated have, as the result of their investments, empty purses and a medley. of fys, hooks, smells and the necessary and unnecessary acoutrements with which to allure the denizens of the brooks from their lurking places. To those who are tyros at the business a few points will not be amiss. Snelled hooks can be had from 25 cents to $1:25 per dozen. The best quality are fixed to selected genuine Spanish silk worm gut, and the best quality of white silk gimp. Of flies there IS an immense variety, which to one who is inexperienced is simply bewildering The novice generally purchases his flies, but not so with the veteran. Give the latter an assortment of gaudy feathers, bits of bright wool, with a few pieces of snelled hooks, he will make you as complete set of imitation flies as ever dazzled the eye of a speckled beauty.
 To the uninitiated it will be surprising to know that fly which might answer the pur- pose in every way in the morning may be totally useless at noon or towards evening. Then again the use of any particular fly de pends upon the condition of the sky upon the day it is used. For instance, on cloudy days very bright and gaudy fly is needed, while it is just the reverse on a bright day. The
 LONG ISLAND TROUT,
 which are generally for the most part, pre-. served in private ponds and consequently are mn nr 1ly fa1 a1 |, considerable red attached to it, in order to hook it, and at times jump as eagerly at a cast thus provided as a bull would at red handkerchief. The flies most in use and best adapted for use during the present month are the grizzly king, professor and Abbey among the gray flies; grouse, silver, brown and cinnamon among the brown; black gnat and silver black among the black, and gray and green, brown and red, and peacock among the Palmers. The following flies are used for bright day: First cast Cor stretch er) black Palmer, silver brown and Abbey second cast, black gnat, brown Palmer and grizzly king; third cast, grouse, cinnamon and professor. For a dark day, first cast gray Palmer, brown Palmer and black Pal mer; second cast, Abbey, grizzly king and silver black; third cast, professor silv. I brown and black gnat. Trout flies are not generally expensive, the prices ranging fir om fifty cents to $2 per dozen. Books in wh ich to keep the flies in proper order may be ob- tained in various sizes and styles and ranging in price from $1 to SIS, the latter being for 8 large Russian leather one
 LINES AND RODS.
 Of course the best kind of line adapted to trout fishing is of waterproof braided silk, tapered with a leader of from six to nine feet attached to the end. The line can be purchased for from seven to fifteen cents a yard, while a costly price has got to be paid for 8 leader the latter being made. of the choicest Spanish silk-worm gut Of rods there are almost as many different styles as there are manufacturers in the market. The price varies from $3 50 to $50 or $6O the former being four piece rod, mounted with brass rings and provided with lancewood tip, while for the latter price rod of the best bamboo, eleven feet long, fittings of silver and weighing but seven or eight ounces, can be bought. Passionate anglers are as much attached to their rods as other men are to their dogs and horses. It is but 8 short time ago that a rod belonging to Mr. Purdy, of England was sold for $2, 900. It is described as 8 whipped cane rod, with stoppers, joint sockets, rings winch fittings and winch itself of eighteen carat gold, while the butt and shoppers are tipped with topaz and garnet. To take one of these costly rods in one's hands not one person in a hundred would be at all likely to know of the care taken to make one of them nearly perfect as possible Not only has 1t got to be perfectly straight when put to- gether, but, counting from the butt, every inch towards the tip has to be made in regard to the strain and so as to distribute that strain throughout the rods entire length, and not allow 1t to concentrate at any given point. For instance, take a hexagonal bamboo rod, costing twenty or twenty-five dollars, first in order comes the butt or hand piece This in many cases is of six different lengths of bambor The wood is sawed from the origi- nal cane in V shaped strips and then cement ed together. This ce nent must be absolute ly waterproof in every respect. A rod made in this way the manufacturers claim, has more strength and elasticity than those made on the old plan, but, as in everything else, sportsmen and anglers vary ill opinion more or less as regards the good qualities of either.
 OTHER NICK-KNAcKs.
 To those who are above the primitive style and who wish to enjoy days trouing with all the modern appliances it will be necessary for them to be provided, besides the rods, lines and flies, with medium sized fish bas- ket or creel, balance to weigh his fish for this weighing IS very important part of his sport, as it enables him to obtain @ good foundation for whatever fish stories he may wantt tell afterwards; also, water proof cap, coat, trousers and stockings. The baskets can be purchased for from $1 to S3, the bal ance for P2 and the price of the water pro of goods are regulated according to the size. and quality desired. Good stout Macintosh stockings cost $8 per pair and $12 when pro vided with boot feet. Trousers cost $14.
 HINTS TO BEGINNER ON CASTING
 It is often said that boy with pin n-hook and length of cotton string will beat the elaborate outfit of scientific angler. If the latter is really good fisherman the saying is false. Of course fine tackle will not make up for deficiency in the use of the rod. In wild streams, not much fshed, the alder rod cut in the woods, with strong line and big hook, will lift out trout faster than an eight ounce split bamboo. But to those who must and will use the finest tackle few points will not be amiss Take rather stifish rod and unreel about three times the length of the rod grasp the rod firmly above the reel, but not tootight. Hold the rod we'll up pointing a little to the left. Take the end of the leader between the fOrafinoer and +bDn,b of ,,,,,r