Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 July 1886 — WISE SALMON TROUT. [ARTICLE]

WISE SALMON TROUT.

Evidence that Ceriain Fish Are Endowed witli a rower Akin to Reason. In the winter of 1840 I hunted deer and fished for salmon trout in and around Bonaparte Lake, Lewis County, N. Y. I fished by putting down 100 hooks through holes in the ice about four rods apart. These were baited with good-sized minnows hooked through the back in such a manner as not to kill them. After the lines had been down the first night I took from them in the morning twenty-five goodsized salmon trout. Each successive morning thereafter I got a less and less number, until on the eighth day the number had diminished to about seven or eight. But the astonishing part of it was that the bait was gone from every hook just the same as it was on the first morning when I made the big catch. I knew that the trout were not all caught out, and it was very- apparent that I could not catch any more without removing to a new ground and cutting a new set of holes, which I accordingly did, about a quarter of a mile from my former grounds. There my results were the same as before, and after fishing seven or eight days I found it would be necessary for me to move again. One day I ran a line of hooks in such a direction that one of them came over a rocky bar where there was open ater. I saw there was an opportunity for an experiment, which I at once decided to try. I fastened the upper end of the line to an overhanging piece of brush, so that nothipg could interfere with the bait below without decidedly moving the brush. Then I laid down on the ice with a coat over my head so that I could look down through., the clear water and watch developments. Finally a large, fine trout came along and began maneuvering with the minnow attached to the hook, and operated in the following manner: He kept as close to the minnow as possible, and repeatedly snapped at it very cautiously, re opening his mouth before he had fairly closed it, so as to prevent getting ■•anything in his mouth he did not want. When the lively minnow had swam away as far as the line would permit the trout made a more forcible snap at it, so as, to cut it entirely from the hook. The nfinnow sank to the bottom, and the trout went after it, and soon had it stored away. I then discovered why I had to move so often. I immediatedly baited the hook with another minnow and lowered it down; the trout came for it again, and snapped at it as before. I left it sink to the bottom, where the trout went after it, and swallowd bait, hook and all, and I never m ssed another one where I saw the trout working at it;— Seth Green, in American Agriculturist.