The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1859-06-18
Trolling for Musoalonge.

George Dawson, ia latter 10 the Alba
ny Journal from among the thousand Is
lands Of the st. Lawrence, gives a graphic
sketch Of a morning spent In catching mus
calongei for he has begun TO catch them IN
earnest now, lie says
"liefore We had rowed a mile, sun, atmos.
phere, scenic beauty, and everything else po-
etc and iancilul, we're dispersed by the sud
den click OF my largest reel. a prompt
backward movement Of NY rod al once COM
yineed mo that | had work on hand of the
most lively kind. / remembered al that
had been written about giving pike, piokerc,
musealonG-i Ncu 'iiiteon minutes 60 gorge
the bait and all that sort Of thing but
paid no attention 20 Il, because didn't be,
lcve IN u, would a6 soon think Of waiting
until my coffee got cold before drinking n,
as 20 vi slll for fifteen minutes or for fifteen
seconda, before 'striking' after fish has Ia
ken my hook. Hos any one, with fire
enough IN him Go make mn angler NJ Uii, ran
do 30, Is beyond my comprehension. Nor
viii admit that IL is either necessary or
wise. Except in very hot weather, when
they are encryated aud sluggish, pickrfel
and muscalonge dash az the bait with the
speed Of lightning, and gorge il sufficiently
on tie lnaiaut 20 be held II Struck promptly
The customer, struggling al my line
was evidently we'll hooked. lie came up,
Tor a moment like a log. IL required every
muscle 70 wind him in. Al first be was oyi-
dcntly only wondering what had bcallcn
him for IN less than ten seconds, he jcfkcd
buck with such force az 20 compel me 10 give
him line II would save him. But, in giving
him line, took care not 10 give him the biz.
me ODDS are against you the moment fish
OF any considerable size succeeds n turning
tail upon you, II he must reccdc, let him
do An- -LacL laEI-.-
thus, you are his MASTER Othcrwse, hc il
yours. Hr-tuok the hook whrn hundred
and h1y feet Of line was out Ia two min
utes, two hundred and fny feet was Ia the
water aud all but fifty feet had run of my
reel before ! recovered an inch. And then
] could debut little more than hold him. lie
pulled back like mule aud my rod, brAced
against my hip, and held at an angle Of forty
1--WE, assumed crescent shape, an 1t nodded
in seeming ccstacy, while the monster (as
soon hogan 20 deem him) tugged 10 free
himself from the barbed hook which held
him, My arm became weary from roeling,
and at every turn il seemed as IL il would
drop from its socket But there could hs no
respite. IL would be a disgrace to surrender
and in fifteen minutes had him. reasonably
iNlNNt Wy wv HlAf hl lUt nuul-lnMiNK Nim
with one hand while with the other fastcn-
ed him with my spring gaf, aud laid him at
my icct-~a twcHV-p0Uid miMcGtoBge'
lie was beautifully hooked, through and
through the upper, And yet ] would haye
lost him If had givcn him slack line for
an instant II he had turned upon me, the
eiiot 20 bring him back would almost Ger
tauiy have drawn the hook from lis lin.
And just here is where 40 many good fellows
ialL IL Of course requires no skill 10 induce
q H-h to dash At your hook when trolling
II his boat is kept at proper speed, aud ha
has the proper length of line in the water. a
'grccnNorn will have as many strikes us a
veteran. Bot II requires skill to hook fsh
when he strikes, and To hold him after he is
hooked. The simple art is, taut line al
ways after the fish is hooked. II compelled
to unrccl, to save your tackle or if the fish
pulls so heavily as To cause yog to fear that
in his struggles he may tear himself from the
hook, unreel slowly, and always with taut
line. Those who cannot do this, better las
Tho old writer's tell us) gite their Glh fifteen
minutes TO gorge But | would as soon
think of spearng salmon on their spawning
beds. or catching trout with a net, as to do
anything 80 unsportsmun and unchristian-
like ns TO permit fish 10 sink quietly to his
nest with a hook in his mouth that he might
have fifteen minutes to gorge it, ~ Fair
play is jewel and il ,ou haven't the skill
to hook fish when he first strikes your
bait, let him run and try again. But never
give fish fifteen minutes to gorger"