The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-05-05

was presented to him. Fines were
then tried, but though he evinced en-
ough curiosity to show himself he
would not touch the tinsel and feath-
ers. At length the fisherman tied a
brown hackle on his leader, and in
stead of casting on the water cast so
the fly landed on the large leaf of
a small tree that grew close beside
the stream. AS it struck on the leaf
close by his lurking place it could
not fail to attract the attention of the
trout, and when, half minute later,
a slight movement of the rod brought
the fly fluttering from the leaf 1t had
hardly touched the water before the
big fellow had seized it as If he meant
to keep it. He weighed almost a
pound. The fisherman took twelve
more of legal size that day and con-
sidered that he had had a fair days
sport
Fishing in a good sized trout stream
with fly Is the perfection of that kind
of sport. The stream itself winding
through woods and meadows and
rocky bluffs, ripping over the gravel,
hating in deep black pools. dashing
down steep inclines in miniature cat
aracts. forming foam fecked pools
where the trout delight to wait for
food, glistening in the sunlight, glow
ering in the shadow, whispering, sing
ing. roaring, is a continual delight;
the trees, just donning their summer
dress, present the varied shades of
green and red and yellow; violets and
anemones brighten in the grass and
the wake robin rears its dull beauty
in the darker woods; birds are busy
with the annual home making; the
red squirrel, full as active but less
saucy than in the fail, is busy mark
ing down the nests from which he
may steal eggs; the cock partridge is
just beginning to drum the wood
chuck whistles from the field beside
muskrat swims up the stream; over
all streams the sunshine that wakes
nature to activity and the moist doors
| of springtime are sweet in the nos
trils. What matter whether or not
the trout rise? The reward OF passing
| a day in such scenes is in the expert
ence itself, not in catching fish.
Just as one arrives at this delight
! full conclusion there is rise, strike,
vicious tug, the reel begins to sing
and the fight is on. 1t is fight. for
and roots and snags and overhanging
banks affords many places where the
willy game may snap line by wind
Ing it about some obstacle, and on
the stream if anywhere is the skill of
the angler put to the test Keen eye,
flexible wrist and sound tackle pre-
vail, and shortly there is a glittering
bit of black and brown and gold and
scarlet on the grass, adding another
bit of color to the scenery and Civ
ling joy to the anglers heart. Sup
No tarpon or leaping tuna ever sent
a thrill into the being of fisherman
as the brook trout when he seizes the
anglers lure as if glorying in the con-
test of skill.
. Experience shows that the small and
dull colored lilies are better for fish
ing in Vermont waters. A No. | Sproat
lis large enough, and some successful
anglers use a midget fly, so small
that it can hardly be seen on the wat
er at the end of a 20-foot cast. A five
ounce rod is heavy enough for most
stream fishing about here and any
thing above six and half ounces Is
too heavy for the delicate work re.
quired. Fish can be "snaked out
with a solid cane pole. but there is
no more sport or pleasure in taking
trout in that way than there Is il
taking perch or suckers. The man who
g goes fishing only for the number o
r fish he can take, without regard tt
the Dtdut! Vi MS SullouiuiHSs VI Lh'
& manner of taking them, might bette
I buy his fish and let others have wha
sport the stream affords.
Pond Fishing.
Fishing on the ponds is a little diff
ferent from that on streams. The fist
are larger and different methods are
: used in taking them. In the early sea
9 son the troll is used. The lure ma.
be a live minnow or one of the man,
II varieties of spoons. with or withou
" bunch of feathers attached. Late
on deep fishing with worms or liy'
I minnows may be resorted to. TIL
d" trout in the lakes are largely rain
bows, steelheads or landlocked sal
- mon, with some real lake or Mackin
; aw trout, commonly known about her
az longe. Brook trout are compare
lively few, but the manner of takin
the denizens of these ponds is abou
j. the same as is used for taking broo
g trout from the waters they inhabi
$ Bait casting is little used for takin
c trout, but is usually reserved for bas
X or pickerel One of the taking bait:
q when everything else has failed, is