g　of　admiration　for　their　heroism。　　Most　of　their　adventures　are　thrilling；　and　all　of　them　are；　in　narration；　more　or　less　unjust　to　the　trout：　in　fact；　the　object　of　them　seems　to　be　to　exhibit；　at　the　expense　of　the　trout；　the　shrewdness；　the　skill；　and　the　muscular　power　of　the　sportsman。　　My　own　simple　story　has　few　of　these　recommendations。
  We　had　built　our　bark　camp　one　summer　and　were　staying　on　one　of　the　popular　lakes　of　the　Saranac　region。　　It　would　be　a　very　pretty　region　if　it　were　not　so　flat；　if　the　margins　of　the　lakes　had　not　been　flooded　by　dams　at　the　outlets；　which　have　killed　the　trees；　and　left　a　rim　of　ghastly　deadwood　like　the　swamps　of　the　under…world　pictured　by　Dore's　bizarre　pencil；and　if　the　pianos　at　the　hotels　were　in　tune。　　It　would　be　an　excellent　sporting　region　also　（for　there　is　water　enough）　if　the　fish　commissioners　would　stock　the　waters；　and　if　previous　hunters　had　not　pulled　all　the　hair　and　skin　off　from　the　deers'　tails。　　Formerly　sportsmen　had　a　habit　of　catching　the　deer　by　the　tails；　and　of　being　dragged　in　mere　wantonness　round　and　round　the　shores。　　It　is　well　known　that　if　you　seize　a　deer　by　this　〃holt〃　the　skin　will　slip　off　like　the　peel　from　a　bananaThis　reprehensible　practice　was　carried　so　far　that　the　traveler　is　now　hourly　pained　by　the　sight　of　peeled…tail　deer　mournfully　sneaking　about　the　wood。
  We　had　been　hearing；　for　weeks；　of　a　small　lake　in　the　heart　of　the　virgin　forest；　some　ten　miles　from　our　camp；　which　was　alive　with　trout；　unsophisticated；　hungry　trout：　the　inlet　to　it　was　described　as　stiff　with　them。　　In　my　imagination　I　saw　them　lying　there　in　ranks　and　rows；　each　a　foot　long；　three　tiers　deep；　a　solid　mass。　The　lake　had　never　been　visited　except　by　stray　sable　hunters　in　the　winter；　and　was　known　as　the　Unknown　Pond。　　I　determined　to　explore　it；　fully　expecting；　however；　that　it　would　prove　to　be　a　delusion；　as　such　mysterious　haunts　of　the　trout　usually　are。　　Confiding　my　purpose　to　Luke；　we　secretly　made　our　preparations；　and　stole　away　from　the　shanty　one　morning　at　daybreak。　　Each　of　us　carried　a　boat；　a　pair　of　blankets；　a　sack　of　bread；　pork；　and　maple…sugar；　while　I　had　my　case　of　rods；　creel；　and　book　of　flies；　and　Luke　had　an　axe　and　the　kitchen　utensils。　　We　think　nothing　of　loads　of　this　sort　in　the　woods。
  Five　miles　through　a　tamarack　swamp　brought　us　to　the　inlet　of　Unknown　Pond；　upon　which　we　embarked　our　fleet；　and　paddled　down　its　vagrant　waters。　　They　were　at　first　sluggish；　winding　among　triste　fir…trees；　but　gradually　developed　a　strong　current。　　At　the　end　of　three　miles　a　loud　roar　ahead　warned　us　that　we　were　approaching　rapids；　falls；　and　cascades。　　We　paused。　　The　danger　was　unknown。　　We　had　our　choice　of　shouldering　our　loads　and　making　a　detour　through　the　woods；　or　of　〃shooting　the　rapids。〃　Naturally　we　chose　the　more　dangerous　course。　　Shooting　the　rapids　has　often　been　described；　and　I　will　not　repeat　the　description　here。　　It　is　needless　to　say　that　I　drove　my　frail　bark　through　the　boiling　rapids；　over　the　successive　waterfalls；　amid　rocks　and　vicious　eddies；　and　landed；　half　a　mile　below　with　whitened　hair　and　a　boat　half　full　of　water；　and　that　the　guide　was　upset；　and　boat；　contents；　and　man　were　strewn　along　the　shore。
  After　this　common　experience　we　went　quickly　on　our　journey；　and；　a　couple　of　hours　before　sundown；　reached　the　lake。　　If　I　live　to　my　dying　day；　I　never　shall　forget　its　appearance。　　The　lake　is　almost　an　exact　circle；　about　a　quarter　of　a　mile　in　diameter。　　The　forest　about　it　was　untouched　by　axe；　and　unkilled　by　artificial　flooding。　The　azure　water　had　a　perfect　setting　of　evergreens；　in　which　all　the　shades　of　the　fir；　the　balsam；　the　pine；　and　the　spruce　were　perfectly　blended；　and　at　intervals　on　the　shore　in　the　emerald　rim　blazed　the　ruby　of　the　cardinal　flower。　　It　was　at　once　evident　that　the　unruffled　waters　had　never　been　vexed　by　the　keel　of　a　boat。　　But　what　chiefly　attracted　my　attention；　and　amused　me；　was　the　boiling　of　the　water；　the　bubbling　and　breaking；　as　if　the　lake　were　a　vast　kettle；　with　a　fire　underneath。　　A　tyro　would　have　been　astonished　at　this　common　phenomenon；　but　sportsmen　will　at　once　understand　me　when　I　say　that　the　water　boiled　with　the　breaking　trout。　　I　studied　the　surface　for　some　time　to　see　upon　what　sort　of　flies　they　were　feeding；　in　order　to　suit　my　cast　to　their　appetites；　but　they　seemed　to　be　at　play　rather　than　feeding；　leaping　high　in　the　air　in　graceful　curves；　and　tumbling　about　each　other　as　we　see　them　in　the　Adirondack　pictures。
  It　is　well　known　that　no　person　who　regards　his　reputation　will　ever　kill　a　trout　with　anything　but　a　fly。　　It　requires　some　training　on　the　part　of　the　trout　to　take　to　this　method。　　The　uncultivated；　unsophisticated　trout　in　unfrequented　waters　prefers　the　bait；　and　the　rural　people；　whose　sole　object　in　going　a…fishing　appears　to　be　to　catch　fish；　indulge　them　in　their　primitive　taste　for　the　worm。　No　sportsman；　however；　will　use　anything　but　a　fly；　except　he　happens　to　be　alone。
  While　Luke　launched　my　boat　and　arranged　his　seat　in　the　stern；　I　prepared　my　rod　and　line。　　The　rod　is　a　bamboo；　weighing　seven　ounces；　which　has　to　be　spliced　with　a　winding　of　silk　thread　every　time　it　is　used。　　This　is　a　tedious　process；　but；　by　fastening　the　joints　in　this　way；　a　uniform　spring　is　secured　in　the　rod。　　No　one　devoted　to　high　art　would　think　of　using　a　socket　joint。　　My　line　was　forty　yards　of　untwisted　silk　upon　a　multiplying　reel。　　The　〃leader〃　（I　am　very　particular　about　my　leaders）　had　been　made　to　order　from　a　domestic　animal　with　which　I　had　been　acquainted。　　The　fisherman　requires　as　good　a　catgut　as　the　violinist。　　The　interior　of　the　house　cat；　it　is　well　known；　is　exceedingly　sensitive；　but　it　may　not　be　so　well　known　that　the　reason　why　some　cats　leave　the　room　in　distress　when　a　piano…forte　is　played　is　because　the　two　instruments　are　not　in　the　same　key；　and　the　vibrations　of　the　chords　of　the　one　are　in　discord　with　the　catgut　of　the　other。　　On　six　feet　of　this　superior　article　I　fixed　three　artificial　flies；a　simple　brown　hackle；　a　gray　body　with　scarlet　wings；　and　one　of　my　own　invention；　which　I　thought　would　be　new　to　the　most　experienced　fly…catcher。　The　trout…fly　does　not　resemble　any　known　species　of　insect。　　It　is　a　〃conventionalized〃　creation；　as　we　say　of　ornamentation。　　The　theory　is　that；　fly…fishing　being　a　high　art；　the　fly　must　not　be　a　tame　imitation　of　nature；　but　an　artistic　suggestion　of　it。　　It　requires　an　artist　to　construct　one；　and　not　every　bungler　can　take　a　bit　of　red　flannel；　a　peacock's　feather；　a　flash　of　tinsel　thread；　a　cock's　plume；　a　section　of　a　hen's　wing；　and　fabricate　a　tiny　object　that　will　not　look　like　any　fly；　but　still　will　suggest　the　universal　conventional　fly。
  I　took　my　stand　in　the　center　of　the　tipsy　boat；　and　Luke　shoved　off；　and　slowly　paddled　towards　some　lily…pads；　while　I　began　casting；　unlimbering　my　tools；　as　it　were。　　The　fish　had　all　disappeared。　I　got　out；　perhaps；　fifty　feet　of　line；　with　no　response；　and　gradually　increased　it　to　one　hundred。　　It　is　not　difficult　to　learn　to　cast；　but　it　is　difficult　to　learn　not　to　snap　off　the　flies　at　every　throw。　　Of　this；　however；　we　will　not　speak。　　I　continued　casting　for　some　moments；　until　I　became　satisfied　that　there　had　been　a　miscalculation。　　Either　the　trout　were　too　green　to　know　what　I　was　at；　or　they　were　dissatisfied　with　my　offers。　　I　reeled　in；　and　changed　the　flies　（that　is；　the　fly　that　was　not　snapped　off）。　　After　studying　the　color　of　the　sky；　of　the　water；　and　of　the　foliage；　and　the　moderated　light　of　the　afternoon；　I　put　on　a　series　of　beguilers；　all　of　a　subdued　brilliancy；　in　harmony　with　the　approach　of　evening。　At　the　second　cast；　which　was　a　short　one；　I　saw　a　splash　where　the　leader　fell；　and　gave　an　excited　jerk。　　The　next　instant　I　perceived　the　game；　and　did　not　need　the　unfeigned　〃dam〃　of　Luke　to　convince　me　that　I　had　snatched　his　felt　hat　from　his　head　and　deposited　it　among　the　lilies。　　Discouraged　by　this；　we　whirled　about；　and　paddled　over　to　the　inlet；　where　a　little　ripple　was　visible　in　the　tinted　light。　At　the　very　first　cast　I　saw　that　the　hour　had　come。　　Three　trout　leaped　into　the　air。　　The　danger　of　this　manoeuvre　all　fishermen　understand。　　It　is　one　of　the　commonest　in　the　woods：　three　heavy　trout　taking　hold　at　once；　rushing　in　different　directions；　smash　the　tackle　into　flinders。　　I　evaded　this　catch；　and　threw　again。　　I　recall　the　moment。　　A　hermit　thrush；　on　the　tip　of　a　balsam；　uttered　his　long；　liquid；　evening　note。　　Happening　to　look　over　my　shoulder；　I　saw　the　peak　of　Marcy　gleam　rosy　in　the　sky　（I　can't　help　it　that　Marcy　is　fifty　miles　off；　and　cannot　be　seen　from　this　region：　these　incidental　touches　are　always　used）。　　The　hundred　feet　of　silk　swished　through　the　air；　and　the　tail…fly　fell　as　lightly　on　the　water　as　a　three…cent　piece　（which　no　slamming　will　give　the　weight　of　a　ten）　drops　upon　the　contribution　plate。　　Instantly　there　was　a　rush；　a　swirl。　　I　struck；　and　〃Got　him；　by…！〃　　Never　mind　what　Luke　said　I　got　him　by。　　〃Out　on　a　fly！〃　continued　that　irreverent　guide；　but　I　told　him　to　back　water；　and　make　for　the　center　of　the　lake。　The　trout；