Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-06-29
HOW SALMON TAKE THE FLY.

| Snecial CORRESPONDENCE.

lSpeCHl COTTeSpOnueuCe.l
TORONTO June 21.--A salmon does not
take the fly like trout, and never rises &c
it while passing up or down a stream. 1t
is only while it is lying at rest in the
waves. the rcposing water at the foot OF
swift rapid or the silent starting place OF
, such a rapid that it will respond to the
skillful cast. Salmon may be moving
along by the thousand in the deep
, stretches of the stream that extend some
times for a mile between rapids, but tho
angler might drop his flies above them
for year, if it were possible. and never
be rewarded by a rise. The pool is the
place to whip and the time early morning
or late in the afternoon. If the epicurean
denzcn of the pool is so inclined there is
sport ahead for the angler. He drops his
flies lightly on the water, and the salmon
starts for it at once. If it were a trout
rising to the fly, he would take it with a
swoOp and a whirl, and away he would
go. True, the salmon darts from his hid
ing upward toward the fly, after the man
ner of the rocket, also, but just before he
reaches the fly he stops for second below
it. Only for a second though, and then
he rises, opens his great jaws, draws the
fly and hook into his month and drops
like plumnet toward the bottom. In
doing that he carries the barbed
hook deep in his upper jaw. Then
the trouble that follows is di
vded between the salmon and the angler
The more the salmon tries to get out of
trouble the deeper he gets the angler in.
The fish no sooner feels the hook in his
jaw than he seems to realize what the
matter is, and things begin to boil The
first thing the fisherman knows n hundred
e.. /, oil
, he thinks lie is in for long chase down
stream, when suddenly the salmon changes
his mind, doubles, and dashcs straight
back at the boat Then the angler is put
to his mottlc to reel in the slack of that
line. 1t is no sooner taut than the sal
mon feels its tension in his Jaw and the
Chances are That whiz! he will shoot up
out of the water until he clears it twice
or thrice his length Then he takes a
header and dashes madly down into the
depths again, tearing this way and that
in his wild fury darling around and
around and making lively work for both
the angler and the man at the oars or
paddle. Then again the mad fish may
start down stream like a steam yacht, and
put the guide to his best skill and tact to
to keep the boat along with him. The
ho,Eod salmon may lead chase for q
mile in this way, then stop suddenly and
resume It's leaping and.doubling tactics.
The fight may last an hour or more, and
if the angler is skillful and cool, and the
guide or g8tfer deXterous and watchGiil
1T will have but one ending, and event
ually the glittering, throbbing prize will
be stretched on the bottom of the canoe
The angler for salmon hates to encoun
ter "sull;er' in his fish. A sulker is
always a large fish, and he will not show
fight at once, but will sink to the bottom
and lie there. Whenever he does max,
up his mind to fight, though, the angler
may make up his mind at the same t;st
| that the struggle will be good one. But
the contrary fish may lie in the sulls fo1
| half a day or more, and, as the true
sportsman cannot retreat or abandon thu
siege with honor, lie must sit there anC
await the salmons royal pleasure if h
has to stav all night. c. R. STEPHENS.