Year: 1877

By DOUGLAS FRAZER.


Always. if possible. fish down a stream
i There are many reasons for this: anon.


Others the following: In fishing up stream


the bait is continually coming home t.


one s feet after every cast. and the neare


it approaches the person, the less cIlanc,


Of bite. The contrary IS the ease in fish
! ing down stream: the bait is carried b,
! tie current away from the fisherman. ant
/ his chances of capture are each moment


increased.


If the brook is large cnougll-and even


in very small ones-if practicable. it is al
ways best to wade in the bed of the stream
, as by this means one can keep the bait in
the water for long distances without max
ing a cast. which. i'll the localities | am
speaking of. almost always. unless skillful-
/ ly done, ends in seeing ones ;ackle fast to
some overlianging bough or bush overlap
ping the stream.


Again. i'll fishing up stream. it is i'm





spot one may desire to east in unless by
standing upon the bank. and die chances
OF capture are thus greatly decreased j:
while. in fishing down stream. one can not
only hold the bait in any one spot. but by
the motion of the hrI.i conduct it in any
given rcction-sink it to the bottom.
draw it up stream, to the right or left
to tempt the hidden trout, tie motion of
tiie running wafer Upon the bait giving one
complete control of it by the, slightest
motion OF the arm. TO be successful in
this sport. first give up all idea of using
artificial lies; there is usually no chance
to east them. and very few fish will raise
to them. and then only, usually. at early
morn or sunset. Use a li@h: but very
slor; .j0inted pole. not over twelve feet in
length. with fine delicate running gear.
and small compact reel; small hooks.
@auged upon sils-worm gHt. of any make
that one prefers, there peine great DIVERSE
ty Of opinion on this matter among fisher
men. The Limerick hook has nearly goile
out Of date. and how it was endured so
long is mystery. The Kirby and Aber-
deem have taken its place. Put no lead
upon your line at any tinie; it kills the ar
tistic and natural notion of your bait
Use. as the most killing bait yet discovered,
anglc-Worms; and these may be much i'm
proved by being kept Il few days upon
clean moss in an uncovered. large-l.iputhed
bottle. that they may scour themselves
In batting. do not pay the slightest atten-
ton to whether the point of your hook is
covered or not; it is of small consequence.
or rather it is more deadly and better not
to be covered than otherwise. The trout
does not nibble, he darts; lie takes, as 4
rule. the bait at once, or leaves it severely
alone. You will find no more taking bait
the year round than angle-worms. though
grasshoppers at certain seasons are very
killing. In batting take worm by the mid
die and pierce the hook through small
portion. say. half an inch; then put on
another in the same way. at the same time.
If the fish are very small, half Il worm
treated in this manner will do !; but Il trout
has a large mouth. and large bait no
doubt attracts.


The dangling ends of the worms placed
as above upon the hook have peculiar
and natural motion of their own in the
water, which hungry trout is unable to
resist; while one may, on 'he other hand,
cover the whole hook and part of the gut
with worm stitlly strung on without mo-
ton. and the same trout will let it be
carried past him by the current without
winking.


There is great science in batting and it
chiefly rests in the skill of having the
worms lively, with the eXtremities left
dangling. The bait Is often carried over a
little fall into slliduth. deep pool; allow
it to sink. and while it is doing so, these
four ends Of the two worms are moving
about i'll the clear water in a much too en-
ticing way for any chance trout to resist


Whnn you have bite, DO not pull at all.
but strike your fish, as it is called. This
is done by motion of the wrist, sharp,
short, abrupt; not Il jerk-a motion which
is connected sharply, but ends almost in
stantly and abruptly. l can liken it only
to quick movement Of the hand in bring
ing a foil, in fencing. from tiercc to carte.
1t is done by bringing the finger-nails,
which are downward, holding the rod,
suddenly to the left and upward, moving
the end of the pole upward and to the left
one or two feet. Having struck thus, you
will, in most cases, have captured your
fish. Re in no hurry to land him. That
is simple thing to do. You can do it at
your leisure, stepping back TO a sure fOun-
dation, should You be in an uncomfortable
position in reaching to make the cast, or
make any other disposition that you may
desire before raising your fish gently from
the water, thence to your reel.


The great mistake often made by those
who do not understand this sport is to pull
the moment they have bite; the result
usually is to see the trout wind himself
around about some limb overhead, or if ne
Glil TO be hooked, which is often the case
in pulling, to see the bait and hook In the
same position, causing loss of time.
patience, and too often temper, especially
when You feel confident that there are 9TH
'r trout in the pool ahead, and become
'ware OF the fact that you have got to
make splash and dash and complete ex-
3osure OF yourself to get at your dangling
inc, so that you may fish in vain in the
'ame pool afterward. Remember that
rout are very shy, and once having dis
urbed them, it is useless to fish for them
tnger.