Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1894-06-01
A Lusty Denizen of Southern Eng
lish Waters.
How the Fish Got its Peculiar Name-It
Is Very voracious and Not ~
All Particular as TO
Its Food.

In several of the shallow and slow
flowing streams of the south of Eng
land-notably the upper waters of the
Lea, the Yer, and the Mimram, all
Hertfordshire streams-the taller is
well known to the exasperated dryfiy
fisherman. And what on earth Is the
'tailer'?" the angler not acquainted
with these and other similar waters
may inquire without shame.
The taller" says the Pail Mall Bud
get, may be best described ms rather
gross feeder, destitute of the artistic
instinct and the culture which the dry
fly fisherman associates with the
trout that can only be taken by an
exact imitation Of natural fly. II Is
called taller" because, when its
head is plunged into the weeds in pur-
suit of freshwater shrimp, its tail
breaks the surface of the stream and
waves in the air. At the commence
ment of the fishing season the tail
ing" trout Is usually very busy, and
very observable in several famous riv-
ers. AT this season of the year the
larger fish are, as rule, in indifferent
or in absolutely bad condition; they
are exceedingly hungry after the ex-
haustion of spawning operations, and
are consequently not in the humor to
waste time on an occasional small
olive dun, or some other insignificant
fly. Water-shrimp Is fat and appe-
tizing, and In many streams exceed
ingly Plentiful. ID is not surprising,
therefore, that 1t forms the staple dish
of trout, which the pangs OF hunger in
the early spring assal almost unceas-
ingly. In early June the big trout
will eschew water-shrimp for May-fiy,
and later on In the season, when they
are In fine condition, win feed with be-
fitting daintiness.
1t is not much use, as q rule, fishing
up stream with ''dry" over taller" /"
The fish Is SO engrossed in its pig-lile
operations among the weeds that IL
treats with contempt solitary little
dun endeavoring to tickle its nose.
The best lure for taller" is a big and
gaudy alder, fshed down stream with
in few inches of the fish, and worked
like salmon fly. At such a lure q
taller" will come sometimes with a
fierce dash, that brings the heart of
the angler right into his throat. The
writer had the pleasure of landing a
five-pound trout, hooked by friend
in this manner in a Hertfordshire
stream on an early spring evening. A
much heavier trout, ''tailing" under
the bank in an awkward place, was
afterwards assailed, and priclsed sew
eral times, but in vain.
A taller" is often difficult to scare,
and even when actually risen and
pricked will recommence feeding in O
few minutes, oblivious of danger The
position of the fish, its head buried in
the weeds and It's tail waving like
flag In the air, naturally renders IL
easy to approach and difficult to alarm
on such occasions. Moreover, "tailer"
seems to riot in its rather nasty meal.
The water-shrimp glut takes posses
sion of the big fish as completely rs the
Msy-fy glut.
What creature the taller takes the
big alder, fshed In the manner de-
scribed, to be is very uncertain. Some
few people assert that fish take fly
under such conditions not from mo-
tives of hunger so much as of anger
mingled with curiosity. But practical
anglers and naturalists laugh at such
fantastic theories. No doubt the trout
takes the alder as the salmon takes the
silver doctor-because 1t looks good to
eat But what particular food IL Is
mistaken for remains mystery.