Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

LIVING OFF THE ^Oi/XTRY 415'hoppers with darkish, well marked bodies, red oryellow under wings, and a juicy appearance. In thedog-days, when trout lie deep in the pools, sluggishand scornful of all other lures, it takes this sortof a grasshopper, kicking madly along the surface,to interest, excite, and compel your big old stageito an athletic contest.The time to catch grasshoppers is in the earlymorning, when the grass is still heavy with dew,or after a shower, or by moonlight after the deWhas fallen. They are cold and torpid then, and youcan pick up a boxful in no time. Common waysof hooking are through the upper part of the thorax,or through the "breastplate" and upward out throughthe head. Either of these will do in rippling water,though the bait dies quickly; but to provoke a lazytrout from the bottom of a still pool you mustgive your 'hopper every chance and encouragementto play the gymnast, and keep it up. This he cer^tainly cannot do if impaled through the vitals.Tie a loop of thread around his bodj^, under thewings and just ahead of the hind legs. Then runa small hook, from behind and forward, through thisloop, on the under side of the insect's body, so thatthe bend of the hook hangs straight down betweenthe legs and pointing backward. Harnessed in thisway, the grasshopper is uninjured, and he is naturallybalanced on the water. Drop him in, as farabove the pool as circumstances will permit, andletthe current carry him along while he kicks likea fury to rid himself of his incumbrance. It is alump and a sot of a trout who can stand such aperformance over his very nose.Crickets have the same "season" as grasshoppers,and are used in the same way. You will find themunder rocks and logs, or they can be captured inthe open after a shower. Bass are not so fondc{ grasshoppers and crickets as trout are; and yet,Inthe hot months, there are times when our notionalsmall-mouth will take nothing else.During the time of frost, bait may be bard to