GETTING READY FOR THE TROUT

Transcription

1 GETTING READY FOR THE TROUT By STILLMAN TAYLOR Things That Should Be Known and Done Before the Speckled Beauties Land in the Creel And as a ship in safe and quiet roade Under some hill or harbor doth abide, With all her fraight, her tackling, and her loade Attending still the winde and wished tide, Which when it serves, no longer makes abode, But forth into the wat'ry deepe doth slide, And through the waves divides her fairest way, Unto the place where she intends to stay; So must the angler be provided still, Of divers tooles, and sundry baytes in store; And of all things else pertaining to his store; Which he shall get and lay up long before, That when the weather frameth to his will, He may be well appointed evermore To take fit time when it is offered ever, For time in one estate abideth never. HESE quaint lines taken from John Denny's "Secrets of Angling," printed at London in the year 1613, contain much timely counsel for the angler of to-day, for the time spent in getting the fishing kit ready for the angling season are enjoyable hours to the true member of the clan. Although most of us agree that not all of the pleasure of fishing is dependent upon the number of fish we catch, few anglers will deny that the day's sport largely rests upon the selection of a good and dependable fishing outfit, which is well suited for the fish we are going to catch. Trout fishing, and fly-fishing for trout in particular, is unlike any other phase of angling; and as success so greatly depends upon accurately placing the fly lightly upon the surface, the question of a suitable rod and appropriate tackle is a most important consideration. The enjoyment of the invigorating life of the open is, after all, the important factor with most anglers, and good rods and tackle will ever be found a joy to handle, while the poorly balanced rod and cheap shoddy equipment is pretty sure to mar the trip by handicapping the unlucky owner, who being thus rudely initiated in the gentle art, will very likely be tempted to "swear off" permanently after his first experience. The brook trout of the Eastern states is at once a gamy and a wary fish, and to creel a fair number, the angler should know something about their habits, and likewise possess a certain skill in handling his tackle. Of course trout may be caught on a length of twine, tied to an alder pole and baited with a worm. The secret of the barefoot lad, thus rudely outfitted, lies in his intimate knowledge of the fish in the nearby stream; he knows where the fish are, and he succeeds in landing a good string despite his crude equipment. That he could do much better with a good rod and tackle goes with the telling. However, the skilful fly-caster can, under equally favorable conditions of weather and water, easily duplicate the bait caster's success, and his average catch will generally run very much higher. Fly-fishing is for several reasons the best method for capturing the brook trout, and there is a fascination in handling the feathered lure which bait fishing can never give. It requires a more complete knowledge of the fine art of fishing to achieve success with the artificial fly and light tackle, but this requisite skill is quickly acquired by a little practice, and once the knack of casting the fly is mastered, the angler will but seldom make use of the more clumsy bait-casting method. The choice of a rod is the first important item to be checked off in getting together a good fly-fishing outfit. The [43]

2 44 OUTING purchase of an ordinary "fishing pole" requires little thought, but success in flyfishing calls for a light-weight rod that is pliant and resilient from tip to butt; one that possesses sufficient strength or "backbone" to stand up under the class of fishing to be done, and last, but by no means of least import, it must balance well with the particular reel you intend to use. The only material which possesses these qualities in the fullest measure is split bamboo. Other materials make good fishing rods, but the three cardinal points of the ideal fly rod lightness, strength, and elasticity are only fully met with in the well-made split bamboo. There are rods and rods; some are machine-made and others hand-made, and while all are included under the caption of "split bamboo," the supply of machine-made rods of inferior quality greatly outnumbers the good and serviceable tools. The principal difference between the good and the cheaply made split-bamboo lies in the making, since the supply of first-class cane is easily secured. In making the hand-made bamboo, the cane is split with a knife, the sides only being used, since the front and back sections of the natural cane or pole contain numerous knots. These hand-split strips of cane are then straightened and planed down to the correct shape from the inside, thus removing the soft and punky part of the wood, but leaving the hard and springy outside enamel uninjured. The machine-made rod is made from bamboo strips obtained by sawing the cane with a fine saw, which cuts the bamboo at a bevel all ready to glue together. The entire cane is thus utilized, knots and all, and the proper taper is given the rod by planing away the outside, which is the most valuable part of the material. An examination of a Calcutta or Tonkin bamboo pole will disclose the fact that the grain never runs in a straight line from butt to tip, but that it curves somewhat at the knots and leaf shields. In making the machine-made rod, the saw cuts the cane in a straight line, and by sawing across the knots and leaf shields the bamboo is weakened to an undesirable degree. In brief, only the choicest and strongest parts of the natural cane are used in building the hand-made rod, while all the cane is used in fashioning the machine-jointed affair. The harder male cane is preferred by anglers and rod makers to the lighter and softer kinds, and in picking out a rod it is well to choose the darkest (unstained) bamboo, which will weigh a trifle more than other rods of the same class. The dark color of the enamel indicates that the fibers of the cane have not been planed away, while the greater weight and relatively shorter distances between the leaf shields point out the more durable male cane. Look the rod over carefully and note that the glued joints are closely matched throughout the length of the joint, and discard that rod which shows the evidence of glue or openings where the strips are joined. Also carefully note if the fiber or grain runs straight with the strip; if it does the rod is a hand-made one, but if the grain turns out against the jointed strips, it is unquestionably machine-made. The Best All-Around Rod The best all-around fly-rod for general trout fishing is one of nine or nine and one-half feet in length, weighing six to seven and one-half ounces. The good rod will have an even taper from butt to tip and the action will show an even curve throughout its entire length; an even flexibility is the chief quality to be sought. Good elasticity and pliability are essential in a fly-rod, but the rod must not be too "whippy," neither should it possess a stiffish action. For small brook fishing, where the overgrown nature of the banks makes long casts the exception rather than the rule, a shorter rod may be chosen, while a longer rod of greater weight may be selected for river angling in the "white water" streams of the north and west. The skill of the angler must, of course, enter into the choice of the rod, and while the old hand may safely elect to use a six ounce rod for even the heaviest fishing, the less experienced fly caster will do well to pick out a rod an ounce or an ounce and one-half heavier.

3 GETTING READY FOR THE TROUT 45 When purchasing a good hand-made split bamboo fly-rod, the angler will only be fully satisfied by thoroughly testing out the rod by affixing his favorite reel and line as in actual angling. By fastening the free end of the line to a weight resting upon the floor, the angler can well test the bamboo for spring and elasticity by reeling in the line and trying the spring under varying tensions. A little careful experimenting in the salesroom will bring out all the good points and also show any existing weaknesses which many well-made rods often possess. The rod should fit the angler and it should balance to suit the individual's requirements, and the owner is obviously the best judge when it comes to deciding whether the "hang" or feel of the rod in the hand is to his satisfaction. For the fly-rod, the single-action click reel is the logical choice, and the most satisfactory type is the so-called "English style," which has the handle screwed or riveted direct to the revolving side plate. A balanced handle is a constant source of annoyance, possessing no advantage for the quick recovery of the line, but rather hindering the angler because of the liability of the projecting handle to foul the line when casting. A multiplying reel of the bait patterns is an abomination on the fly rod, destroying the proper balance of the best rods and seriously interfering with long and accurate casting. The best click reel is one having a relatively large diameter, but narrow between the plates. Hard rubber or vulcanite is the best material for the side plates, while German silver or hard aluminum form the best metal trimmings. The most useful size is one holding about forty yards of No. E size waterproof line, the plates or spool diameter being about three inches, with a width of about seven-eighths of an inch between the plates. With a narrow spool reel of this kind, the angler can recover his line almost as rapidly as he can handle the multiplying reel. The chief point to remember in buying a reel is to secure one of proper weight to balance the rod. The proper position for the reel on the fly-rod is below the grip, and a comparatively light-weight reel is therefore essential, since a slight increase in weight added near the butt end is likely to make the rod butt heavy and render casting difficult after an hour or so of fishing. The silk enameled double-tapered line is decidedly the best line for fly casting, because the tapered end allows the angler to drop his fly with the utmost delicacy on the water. Single-tapered lines are less expensive, but as the taper is on but one end, the line cannot be reversed to equalize the wear of casting. The level line, having the same diameter throughout its length, is more commonly used, but the cast cannot be drawn so neatly and fine with the level line. Size E is the most useful, but a size smaller, known as F, may be used for small brook fishing, while Size D is only suited for the heaviest kind of fishing. The commonsense rule in selecting a line is to use one suited to the weight of rod a light line with a light rod, and vice versa. A comparatively heavy line on a light rod will rob it of its elasticity, while a light line and a heavy rod is surely an impossible combination, resembling an ox whip more than a fly rod. However, a rather stiff action rod may be limbered up to a considerable extent by using a slightly heavier line, while the very willowy, whippy rod demands a very light line. Selecting the Leader The single gut leader is preferred for fly casting for trout, and the leader should be as fine as can be safely used for the fish to be caught. It is of course an advantage to use a leader with a breaking strain much less than that of the line, for when a breakage occurs the leader will first part and the line will be saved. Leaders may be purchased tied up ready for use, or the angler may make his own by knotting as many single lengths of gut as he desires to secure the wanted leader length. A three or a three and a half foot leader is amply long enough, for a longer length is likely to catch in the tip ring when reeling in the fish close enough to reach it with the usual landing net. Leaders may be bought with a loop

4 46 OUTING at each end, or with loops for using two or three flies. The two-fly cast is the best for average fishing, and the single fly the more killing for lake fishing. For the two-fly cast the leader should be provided with three loops, the extra loop being tied in about fifteen inches from the lower loop. The first or upper fly is called the "dropper" while the lower one is known as the "tail" fly. When but one fly is used the leader requires but two loops. When purchasing leaders or lengths of gut for tying, select only those lengths which are of uniform diameter and well rounded, discarding all lengths which show flat and rough spots. Gut is very brittle when dry and should not be handled roughly until well soaked. The leaders should be soaked overnight previous to the day's fishing, and should be kept moist and pliable by coiling them up and placing them between the felt pads of the leader box. When through fishing, it is a good plan to dry out the leaders by placing them between the flannel leaves of the fly book. Artificial Flies To the fly caster the subject of artificial flies is one of the most interesting phases of his art, and the list of flies is so long and personal opinions differ so widely regarding their merits that only the best-known favorite flies, attractive throughout the territory where the brook trout makes his home, can be mentioned. The list of standard flies includes some five dozen varieties, but the universal favorites may be boiled down to about twenty-four patterns. To enable the inexperienced angler to recognize the several kinds, a concise description of each fly is here given. Caldwell Body, claret silk, ribbed with gold tinsel; wings, pintail duck; hackle, brown; tail, three fibers wood duck; tag, gold tinsel. Cinnamon Body, brown worsted ; wings, speckled brown hen's feather; hackle, brown; tail, three strands black hackle; tag, gold tinsel. Coachman Body, peacock berl; wings, white; hackle, brown. Green Drake Body, straw silk, ribbed with loose coils black silk; wings, wood duck; hackle, brown; tail, three fibers, wood duck. Grasshopper Body, brown worsted; wings, jungle cock's feather, above it one strip of yellow color, dyed, and one red ibis, about three fibers of each; hackle, scarlet; tail, yellow, swan and pintail duck, three fibers of each; tag, gold tinsel, and about 1-16-inch green silk; head of peacock berl. Grizzly King Body, green silk, ribbed with silver tinsel; wings, pintail duck; hackle, grizzled; tag, gold tinsel; tail, red ibis. Jungle Body, scarlet silk, ribbed with gold tinsel; wings, jungle cock's feather, single; hackle, white with black center; tag, gold tinsel; tail, three fibers red ibis. Montreal Body, dark crimson silk, ribbed with gold tinsel; wings, turkey's wing feather, hackle, scarlet; tag, gold tinsel; tail, red ibis. Pale Evening Dun Body, yellow silk, ribbed with gold tinsel; wings, mallard's under wing feather; hackle, yellow; tag, gold tinsel; tail, three fibers of mallard's wing. Professor Body, yellow silk, ribbed with tinsel; wings, pintail duck; hackle, brown; tail, three libers red ibis. Red Ant Body, scarlet silk; wings, red ibis; hackle, red or scarlet; tag, peacock berl. Seth Green Body, green silk, ribbed with yellow silk twist; wings, lead colored mallaid's feather; hackle, brown; tag, gold tinsel; tail, three strands mallard's wing. Soldier Palmer Body, scarlet silk, ribbed with gold tinsel; hackle, brown, one short above, one full at head; tag, gold tinsel. Stone fly Body, gray silk, ribbed with silver tinsel; wings, mallard's wing feather; hackle, gray; tag, silver tinsel; tail, black hackle. Brown Hackle Body, peacock berl; hackle, brown, wound thick; no wings. Canada Body, red worsted, wound with gold tinsel; wings, light brown and mottled; hackle, brown; tail, red worsted. Gray Hackle Body, green silk, ribbed with silver tinsel; hackle, gray; no wings. Blue Jay Body, claret mohair; wings, matched English blue jay; tail, red ibis. Jenny Lind Body, yellow; wings, blue; hackle, red. Page A red fly with wood duck wings. Parmacheene Belle Body, yellow, remainder red and white mixed. Rube Wood Body, white chenille, finished with red silver tag; hackle, brown; tail, brown mallard. Scarlet Ibis Body red, ribbed with gold tinsel; wings, scarlet ibis; hackle, ibis; tail, ibis. Silver Doctor Body, silver tinsel, wound with red silk, finished with red tag; wings, mixed yellow and red, with wood duck, and bars of wild turkey; hackle, blue and guinea hen; tail, golden pheasant. For mid-spring fishing, Coachman, White Miller, Professor, Brown Hackle,

5 GETTING READY FOR THE TROUT 47 and Gray Hackle are splendid flies. The cast for the latter part of April and the month of May should certainly include all the above. For Northern waters, Jock Scott, Brown Hackle, Parmacheene Belle, and Silver Doctor are especially killing lures, while Montreal, Parmacheene Belle, and Silver Doctor are the three invincible flies for Canadian waters. In addition to the above patterns, the appropriate flies to use during the fly fishing season include these representative casts: April Red Ibis, Cinnamon, Stone Fly, Red Spinner, and Parmacheene Belle. May Yellow Dun, Turkey Brown, Iron Blue, Spinner, Montreal, and Red Fox. June Silver Doctor, Alder, Black Gnat, Gray Drake, Orange Dun, and Green Drake. July Grizzly King, July Dun, Pale Evening Dun, Red Ant, Brown Palmer. August Coachman, Seth Green, Governor, August Dun, Shad, and Royal Coachman. September Willow, Whirling Dun, Black Palmer, Blue Bottle, and Queen of the Water. Flies tied on eyed hooks of the Pennell style are preferred by a great many anglers, and the smaller range of sizes are the most used, numbers six and eight being the standard hook sizes for all average fishing. For small brook fishing during the opening month, the small midge flies tied on number twelve and fourteen hooks are the most killing, and the most attractive patterns are those in which brown and gray colors predominate the Palmers and Hackles being always good. The Knack of Casting The knack of casting the fly is far from being as difficult an art as many are inclined to believe, but to secure a mastery over the rod and line considerable patient practice must be indulged in. The first point to be attended to is to hold the rod correctly, for little can be accomplished if the proper grip is overlooked. The hand should grip the butt at the point where the rod balances the best, with the thumb extending in the direction of the tip, the reel lying below the rod with its handle on the righthand side. Casting is not done with a free reel as in bait casting, but is ac- complished by reeling off sufficient line for the desired cast. For the first practice casts, twenty feet of line is sufficient, and this amount is reeled from the spool and coiled at the foot of the angler. Now with a quick upward snap of the wrist, carry the rod upward, checking it when the tip points over the shoulder, not more than twentyfive degrees from the vertical. The impetus of this snappy up stroke is known as the "back cast," and whips the line high in the air to carry it behind the angler. As soon as the line straightens out behind, the rod is brought forward with a sharp snap of the wrist and forearm, and the line is projected ahead of the angler to make the long "forward cast." The description of this very useful cast, known as the overhead cast, may appear difficult, but a few trials will teach the angler how it should be executed and future skill rests upon practice. The chief thing to keep in mind is that fly casting is almost entirely a matter of wrist action, and no shoulder motion must creep in or the accuracy of the cast will be interfered with. By keeping the arm and elbow close to the body the correct muscular effort is more easily controlled. The properly executed overhead cast consists of three motions, and the second or back cast is the most important and difficult of all to master, because the line is back of the angler and the eye cannot aid the hand. Just how long to pause in order to let the line straighten out behind is the crux of the whole cast, and this can only be acquired through practice. After a little experience, the tension of the line communicated to the rod will inform the angler when his back cast is complete, when the rod must be quickly snapped downward to send the fly in the direction the angler is facing. The best manner of learning how to cast the fly neatly and with precision is to practice on the open banks of a pond, or in the back yard if there is space to swing a fairly long line. Begin by making short casts and endeavor to aim at accuracy and delicacy rather than to attain long distance. The line should be kept well up in the air on the back cast,

6 48 OUTING and the rod should neither be carried too far backward, nor should too long a pause intervene between the back and forward casts. The beginner will find it an advantage to time the cast by counting, "one" for the up stroke, "two and" for the line to straighten out behind his back, and "three" for the final forward throw. The success of the fly caster on the stream chiefly depends upon handling the fly lightly, and delicacy together with reasonable accuracy are the two principal things to attain. By using a newspaper for a target in the back yard, one may become quite proficient with a little systematic practice. The skilful handling of the flies on the water is a much finer art than mere expertness in casting and means a great deal more to the average fisherman. The seasoned fly-caster prefers to wade with the current, and casting before him, he flicks his flies to cover every bit of promising and fishable water. Just where the trout are wont to hide depends upon the season of the year, the nature of the stream, and also upon the trout, since the characteristics of the brook trout in different localities and in different streams will be found to vary considerably, while the habits of the rainbow and brown trout are, of course, dissimilar. One of the common mistakes which the novice is likely to make is to endeavor to imitate the flight of natural insects as they alight upon the water. Now this imitation may be correct in theory, but the practice of skipping and twitching the flies about in the fond belief that you are fooling Mr. Trout is about the worst kind of amateur fishing. If you are anxious to catch a few trout, do not attempt to formulate an original system for their capture, unless you are more interested in putting your theories to the test than in catching trout. The experienced fly-caster will invariably wade with the stream and the majority of his casts will be made across the current at right angles to the stream's flow. The flies are cast above the likelylooking places and the current allowed to carry them along in a partly submerged and wholly natural manner, while the angler is enabled to keep a fairly taut line. As a general thing, the slightly submerged fly insures the better luck, yet there are numerous exceptions to this. But submerged does not mean fishing with the fly dragging deep in the water, unless the stream is flooded and discolored by recent rains, when deep fishing is the most successful method. From the standpoint of sport, surface fishing is recommended, and when casting is done under favorable conditions of wind and water, the surface fly will creel as many fish as any method of fishing. To keep the fly on the surface, the tip of the rod should be carried fairly high and the line kept taut by taking up the slack with the free hand. The flies should float down with the current in a perfectly natural manner, and advantage should be taken of any bits of floating foam to cast your flies upon it and let them float with the current. The brook trout is a hard fighter and will generally make a savage run at the fly, and in quick water the fish more often hooks himself. The psychological moment arrives when the fish rises to the fly and the hook is in his mouth. This is the time to strike, which is done by checking the line with the forefinger and turning the wrist to plant the barb; just how much force to use depends upon the current and the size of the fish; if the trout run small and the stream has some current, very little force will suffice; but in pool fishing, where the water is still and the fish run large, considerably more force is required to hook the fish. Skill in striking the fish comes from experience, and not a few good trout will be lost by striking too early or too late, until the angler gets the "hang" of judging the behavior of the fish. When hooked the common error is to rush the trout to the net as quickly as possible. However, if slender tackle is used, the fish must be humored in until his exhausting strength enables you to safely reel him in. In playing a fish the only points to remember are to keep a taut line. Let the fish feel the tension of the line always; keep the tip well up and let the rod curve evenly from joint to tip. A good angling maxim to remember is this: When the fish pulls, you don't; when he doesn't, you do.