The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1894-06-09
THE Taller TROUT.
A Lusty Denizen Of Southern Hng-
lish Waters.
How tho Fish Got ITS Peculiar Nams-It
IL Worry voracious and Not at
All Particular rs to
It's Food.

In several OF the shallow and slow.
flowing streams of the south Of Eng
individually the upper waters Of the
Lea, the Yer, and tho Mimram, oil
Hertfordshire streams-the "tailer" IL
we'll known to the exnsperated dryfy
fisherman. "And what on earth Is tho
'tailcr'?" the angler not acquainted
with these and other similar waterA
may inquire without shame.
The taller" snys the Pail Mall Bud
get, may be best described ns 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 'tailer" 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 exr
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 strcnms exceed
ingly plentiful. It Is not surprising,
therefore, that 1t forms the staple dish
Of trout, which the pnngs of hunger In
the enrly spring assnil almost unceas-
ingly. In early June the big trout
will eschew water-shrimp for May-fy,
and later on In the season, when they
are in fine condition, will food with be-
fitting daintiness.
1t Is not much use, as rule, fishing
up stream with dry" over taller +"
The fish is so engrossed in its pig-like
operations among the weeds that It
treats with contempt a solitary little
dun endeavoring to tickle its nose.
The best lure for taller" Is big and
gaudy alder, flshed down stream with
in few inches of the Ash, and worked
like salmon fly. At such lure q
taller" will come sometimes with q
fierce dash, that brings the heart OF
the angler right into his throat. The
writer had the pleasure of landing q
fve-pound trout hooked by friend
In this manner in Hertfordshire
stream on m carly spring evening. A
much heavier trout, "tailing" under
the bank in an awkward place, was
afterwards nssailcd, and priclsed sev-
eral times, but in vain.
A taller" is often difficult to scare,
and even when actually risen and
priclsed will rccolnmcnce feeding in q
few minutes, oblivious of dunger. The
position of the fish, its head buried in
the weeds and its tail waving like a
flag in the air, naturally renders II
easy to approach and difficult to alarm
on such occasions Moreover, taller
seems to riot in its rather nasty meal.
Tho wnter-shrimp glut takes posses.
sion of the big fish Us complctelyas rs the
May-1y glut.
What creature tho taller" takes the
big alder, fished In the manner de-
scribed, to be is very uncertain. Some
few people assert that lsh take fly
under such conditions not from mo
tives of hunger 30 much as Of ange,
mingled with curiosity. but practica
anglers ind naturalists laugh ut such
fantastic theories. No doubt the trout
takes the alder as the salmon takes the
silver doctor-becnuse 1t looks good te
eat. But what particular food it 1.
mistaken for remains mystery.