Year: 1878

Fgiht with Trout.


The hundred feet of silk swished


through the air, and the tail fly fell as


lightly on the water as three cent


piece (Which no slamming Will give the


weight of ten drops upon the contri-


button plate. Instantly there was a


rush, a swirl; struck; and "Got him


by-W Never mind what Luke said


got him by. "Out on a hy" contin-


ued that irreverent guide, but l told


him to back water and make for the CEN


tire of the lake.


The trout, as soon as he felt the prick


of the hook, was off like shot, and


took of the whole of the line with ra-


pidity that made it smoke. "Give him


the butt!" shouted Luke. 1t is the


usual remark in such an emergency.


gave him the butt, and, recognizing
the fact and my spirit, the trout at once
sank TO the bottom and sulkeG. 1t is
the most dangerous mood for trout,
for yon cannot tell what he will do
next. We reeled up little, and wait
ed five minutes for him to reflect. A
tightening Of the line enraged him, and
he soon developed his tactics.


Coming to the surface, he made
straight for the boat faster than | could
reel in, and evidently with hostile in
tentions. "Look out for him ~ cried
Luke, as he came flying in the air. |
evaded him by dropping Hat in the bot
tom of the boat, and when | picked up
my traps he was spinning across the
lake as if he had new idea; but the
line was still fast. He did not ran far.
| gave him the butt again, thing he
seemed to hate, even as gift; in a mo-
ment, the evil-minded fish, lashing the
water in his rage, was coming back
again, making straight for the boat as
before. Luke, who was used to these
encounters, having read of them in the
writings of travellers he had accompan-
led, raised the paddle in self-defence.


The trout left the water about ten
feet from the boat and came directly at
me with fiery eyes, his speckled sides
flashing like a meteor. | lodged as he
whisked by with vicious slap of his
bifurcated tail, and nearly upset the
boat. The line was of course slack, and
the danger was that he would entangle
it about me and carry away leg. This
was evidently his game, but untang-
led it, and only lost breast button or
two by the swiftly moving string. The
trout plunged into the water with
kissing sound and went away again with
all the line on the reel.


More butt. More Indignation on the |
part of the captive. The contest had
now been going on for half an hour,
and | was getting exhausted. We had
been back and fort across the lake, and
round and round the lake; what fear
ed was that the trout would start up the
inlet and wreck us in the bushes. But
he had new fancy, and began the cX-
ecutiOn of manpuvre which had |
never read Of, Instead of coming
straight toward me he took large cir |
Gle, swimming rapidly anu gradually |
contracting his orbit. reeled in, and |
kept my eye on him. Round and round |
he went narrowing his circle.


l began to suspect the game, which |
was to twist my head off. When he had |
reduced the radius of his circle to about |
twenty-five feet, he struck tremend-
Gus pace through the water. 1t would |
be false modesty in a sportsman to say
that | was not equal to the occasion.
Instead Of turning around with him as
he expected, l stepped to the bow,
braced myself, and let her swing.
Round went the fish, and round we
went like a top. | saw line of st.
Mary's all round the horizon. The rosy
tint in the west made broad bank of
pink along the sky above the tree-tops.
The evening star was perfect circle of
light, hoop of gold in the heavens.
We whirled and reeled, and reeled and
| was willing to give the ma
licious beast butt and line and all, if he
would only go the other way for a
change.


When Icame tomyself, Luke was gaf-
Iing the trout at the boatside, After we
got him and dressed him, he weighed
.hree-quartels of a pound. Fish lose
by being "got in and dressed" 1t is
best TO weigh them while in the water.
The only really large one l ever caught
rot away with my leader when / first
,truCk him He weiubpd ton Mounds