Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 October 1883 — Learn to Catch your Own Trout. [ARTICLE]

Learn to Catch your Own Trout.

The labors of Seth Green, Roosevelt, and others interested in preserving and perpetuating our best fish, are rapidly restocking our trout streams, and every farmer who has a running brook on his farm can now, at very little expense, have trout of his own to order. The farmer boy looks with wondering admiration at the fly-casts of his city cousin, who has come t» the country for his vacation, but if he will give a little time and attention, he can very soon acquire the act of. fly- fishing, and excel liis cousin, for he lias more strength in his arm and endurance generally. Hear what David Foster has to say; -It is a well established axiom that in skillful casting lies the chief condition of success. “He can throw a good line,” is equivalent to asserting the proficiency of a good rodster, whether he be fly, mid-water, or bottom fisher. The ordinary routine cast is the first to be practiced and acquired by the tyro. This is accomplished by bringing round the rod so as to describe a half circle from over the left shoulder, and delivering it drectlv over the right, and the action emanating from the wrist and elbow only. It is capital practice for the young student to cast upon a lawn or any closely-cut turf. Line to the length of the rod should first be delivered efficiently and noatly, when a hat should be placed as the" receptacle of the fly; alter the distances have been lengthened at intervals a tumbler may be substituted, and finally a small wine glass. When these different exercises have been successfully accomplished, with a fair length of line, the rodster may safely try his hand upon the bosom of the watery element. Lightness and precision follow practice and experience. Caro and patience in execution are required, after the rudiments of the art have been acquired; a non-observ-ance of these is sure to materially interfere with the sport. Perseverance is all very well in its place, but when anaided by the exercise of due care and tact in presenting the lure, it will meet with small result. The tyro should therefore practice assiduously, admire and aspire to a nearer acquaintance with the scaly beauties; they are coy anct' ungrateful. The instant they become aware of his paying them the least attention, they move contemptuously away; and tio matter how lovingly he drops' 1 them a line, aH further correspondence is thankfully declined. It behooves him, therefore, to keep out of

sight as mucfy as possible, never allowing the sun to extend his shadow across the stream, always, also, avoiding conspicuously bright clothing; for notwithstanding the naturalists’ persistent assertions as to the dullness of the eyes of the fish, owing, it is affirmed, to the skin of the head covering the pupil of the eye, the trout fisher knows very well that in their own element they habitually exercise the most keen apd discriminating powers of vision, when the water is clear; and any moving or brightly colored objects outside it attract their attention.— American ' Agriculturist.