The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1894-08-04
THE TALLER TROUT.
A Lusty Denizsn Of Southern Eng
lish Waters.
How the Fish Got It's Peculiar Name-It
Is Very voracious and Not at
All Particular as to
Its Food.


flowing streams of the south of Eng
land-notably the upper waters of the
Lea, the Yer, and the Mirnram. all
Hertfordshirc 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 as 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. It is
called a taller because, when it's
head is plunged into the weeds in pur-
suit of freshwater shrimp, its tail
breaks the surface of the stream and
wa res. in the air. At the commence
ment of the fishing season the s'uail-
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 conditions; 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
1y. Water-shrimp is fat and appc-
tizinG, and in many streams exceed
ingly plentiful. 1t is not surprising
therefore, that it forms the staple dish
of trout, which the pangs of hunger in
the early spring assan almost unccas-
ingly. In early June the big trout
will cschew water-shrimp for May-ly,
and later on in the season, when they
are in fine condition, will feed with be-
fitting daintiness.
1t is not much use, as a rule, fishing
up stream with dry over taller .
The fish is so cngrossed in it's pig-like
operations among the weeds that it
treats with contempt a solitary little
dun endcavoring to tickle its nose
The best lure for taller is a big and
gaudy alder, fished down stream with
in a few inches of the fish, and worked
like salmon fly. AT such lure a
taller will come, sometimes with Il
fierce dash, that brings the heart of
the angler right into his throat. The
writer had the pleasure of landing a
fve-pound trout, hooked by friend
in this manner in Hertfordshire
stream on an early spring evening. A
much heavier trout. 'tailing'' under
the bank in an awkward place, was
afterwards assailed, and pricked sew
eral times, but in vain.
A taller" is often difficult to scare,
and even when actually risen and
priclzcd viii recoinmence feeding in a
few minutes, oblivious of danger. The
position of the fish. its head buried in
the weeas ana It's tail waving like
flag in the air, naturally renders it
easy to approach and difficult to alarm
on such occasions. Moreover, a taller
seems to riot in its rather nasty meal
The water-shrimp glut takes posses
sion of the big fish as completely as the
May-1y glut.
What creature the s'tailer'' takes the
big alder, fished 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-becausc it looks good to
eat. But what particular food it is
mistaken for remains a mystery.