Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-04-20
TROUT FISHING.
SOME SUGGESTIONS OF A TIMELY
NATURE,

vi May. Inc tOllOWlnH article from an
exchange tells some things which are
new and is well worth reading by all
interested in the sport:
There are thousands of men, and in
deed women. all over New England who
take delight beyond measure at this sea-
son OF tile y ear in playing with the lin
pid streams of their rural retreats, in the
shadows and deep corners Of wtich hide
the dainty, notified beauties which are
admired AS much for their cunning and
contention with their pursuers as for
their torn and brilliant hue: yet only u
small proportion of this army of anglers
know how best to secure the greatest
amount of pleasure from "a day of sport
with rod and reel. For the purpose of
giving the benefits of his experience
to those who love the delights of trout
fishing and know but little about the
habits and haunts of this beautiful and
game fish, MIR. Charles f. Danforth,
president of the Sportsmans Rod and
Gun association, prepared paper on
the general subject hich, by invitation,
he read before the association last neck
Alter minutely describing the trout, Mr..
! DanlOrth drew the conclusion that the
brook trout is the most beautiful creature
in form. color and motion that can be
imagined-the handsomest specimen of
marine architecture in existence. Slen-
derby aud gracefully modelled. the brook
trout is rather deeper in proportion to
his length than the either the salmon or
laI trout and far more so than the pick
erel. In a well grown and well fed fl h,
the length of The head to the whole body
is about AS one to five, ana the length of
the whole body to the breadth as four
and half to one.
The trout is found in rapid and clear
running streams, but does not care for
the open and shallow parts of the river,
preferring the shelter of some stone or
hole in the bank, whence he may watch
for his prey. Like pickerel, he haunts
some pan ticular hiding place, and in a
like manner is sure to take possession of
a favorable haunt that has beeh vacated
by the demise or promotion to superior
quarters of his predecessor. Various
bats are used in fishing for trout. such
as the worm, the minnow and the fly,
both natural and artificial, the latter
being the the neatest and most artistic
method. At this season amateurs aud
others without number are engaged in
this exciting and health-giving sport.
from the visitor to The preserve with his
Leonard rod 70 the boy with the pin
hook and angle-wOrm. There are trout
in nearly every bubbling brook in New
England and the middle States, and
many other localities where the water
is situated a reasonable distance from
any town or settlement Too many
fishermen are apt to fish streams that
have IA wide reputation for yielding up
great bags" on the ground that years
lgh Hn Iit.h IN. t.,ly "a
by so and So. Unless you have positive
knowledge that such water contains
fish, don't trouble it or waste your time.
Get a move on and seek new fields,
aid the first mountain or hillside brook
you come across try your luck there.
III you enjoy the same experience "a
have had, you will not always go home
empty-handed. Don't be afraid to try
new brooks. There's really nothing like
experimenting. The small brook trou;
seldom breaks water in running streams ::
he gives no intimatiOn of his presence AS
do the trout of lakes and pOhds. Even
the latter rarely do so except at sunrise
or sunset, and then when ne has attained
a size larger than that usually met with
in brooks. In order not to be disap-
pointed IN this sport. don't run away
with the idea that you are going to get
many fish that exceed six or seven inches
in length. You can often catch 30 or 40
nice six or seven inch trout by following
for mile or two brook that YOU can.
in its widest part, easily step across; so
don't, beg of you. despise small brooks.
| am not now talking for the benefit of
skilled anglers who are only satisfied
with "the earth,' but for those of YOU
who, like myself, enjoy open air, health
full exercise. Let me endeavor to tell
you how to pursue the sport without
breaking your rod, or, perhaps, your
neck, and without losing your tackle or
your temper. When you can feasibly
do so, always fish down a stream. In
| fishing up stream the bait is always
coming back toward your feet. and the
nearer it gets to you the less your
chances for a bite. If the brook is large
enough to wade in the bed of the stream
| (taking care not to rifle the water). AS b,
this means one can keep the bait ahead
a long distance without making IA cast,
which in the localities | am speaking OF,
unless skillfully done, almost Away sends
in seeing ones tackle all mixed
and snarled up in some bush overhang-
ing the stream. In fishing up stream
you cannot control your bait unless YOU
stand on the bank. and the chances of
CdpluIC ny HSHlnS III ms pbSlllOu are
greatly decreased. while IN fishing the
other way one cannot only hold the bait
in ole spot, but by the slightest motion
of the arm may conduct it in any
direction, sink it toward the bottom.
draw it toward him, to the right or
left, as the case may be, to tempt the
hidden trout, the motion of the running
water upon the bait giving one complete
control of it by the least motion of the
rod.
TO be successful in brook fishing give up
the idea of using artificial flies; there is
hardly any chance to use them, and fish
in small brooks seldom take to them.
Use light, moderately stiff, three. Joint
ed rod. not over II feet long, with stand
ing guides (the Providence guide being
the besD, small, compact click wheel,
small hooks, say Carlisle Nos. 1, or 6,
ganged upon fine gut. Seldom use lead
upon your line aud then rarely anything
heavier than one or two No. or shot,
split in the centre, and which can readily
h., 81, 81,