The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1864-05-18
AbOnt Fish and Fishing.

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il over it's votaries, which, 10 believers in
DR.. Johnson, with his worm at one end and
fool at the Other, is both incomprehensible
and ridiculous. Still, Notwithstanding the
fdictum OF the ursine philosopher. the popu-
lafiiy oithe "gentIe craft" is unquestiona-
BILE. No license is required to follow it.
A few rhiTlings will procur all needful ap :
] plisncss for its lower branches. The urchn
rejoices in piece Of twine aud crook ed
pin it gives semelance TO occupation with
ou, labor, il leads It's disciples into fresh
air, and usually, pleasant scenery But this
latter luxury can of course only be enjoyed
in perfection by those who recline on
grassy bank, or sill at ease surrounded by
creature comforts in punt, and is nowise
| applicable to the salmon fisher who is
forced 10 tear at break-neck speed, over
! break-neck rocks or TO wade breast high
holes. Indeed, it ia don biful in such cases
which has most sport. man or fab, for as
suredly the latter is often master of the situ-
alton, and leads the angler hilher, :hither,
like a blind man by a dog. AS a general
rule, however, the angler, ultimately has the
best OF ii, the FISH furnishing him with fun
while living, aud food when dead. Upon
SO engrossing pursuit. works without
number have been written, Walton's being
the highest in literary merit; hui The digec-
iions OF that father of the craft are now voted
absolete, and his work is only valued for
The charming pictures il conveys, especially
10 those Gin populous city penl," of rural
life end scenery. An English work by Mr..
Pennell has sone at length into the natural
history OF Ash, or 'ichlhyolosy, Z" 10 use the
scientific term bis object being not merely
10 enable the angler to catch them, but TO
iD1nce them TO observe their customs and
manners, and thus enlarge the boundary OF
our knowledge concerning them, and he
eyen anticipates that By this means new
varieties may possibly be discovered in
these Islands. Even as il is, the variety is
much greater ihan one v ould think. Thus
all cur readers are familiar with The roach,
but how many have come in contact with
It's relation TO the granting Again, the
sight, if not the taste the salmon is within
reach of every Gre, yet who would suspect
II of being connected with The gwynlad,
the poon and powan Although The sal
mon family. including all varieties OF trout,
Is un9uestfonabEy by far The most imPor-
tant, it is evident that the author has
weakness for that freshwaler scourge, The
pike, enc recomm ehdaiion oi which, in his
eyes, is that Il occasionally seizes the bait
without energy as 10 force the angler to
drop tlls rod from sheer terror and another
is that il viii attack mankind not merely in
the water bul on lan6, the author himself
having had The privilege OF being severe ly
bitten above The knee by a fine Thames
fish, which sprung of the ground after it
was supposed 10 be dead, and seized him
by The thigh, were it nnne"-a privilege"
which few We suspect, will be so enthusiast
iic as 10 envy kim. Hs also tells US that a
pike attempted man-slaughter.
In the Reading Mercury statement ap.
peared that lad aged Is, named Long |
hurst lad gone into Ipglemore Pond, near i
Ascot Heath, to bath, and that when he t
had walked into The depthe Of about four
leet, huge fish, supposed TO be pike
suddenly rose 10 the surface and seized his
arm. Finding himself resistsd, however, !
he abandoned il, bui still followed, and
caught hold of ihe other hand, which he
oi, very severely. The lad clenching The
hand which had been first bitten, sirnck bis
assailant a heavy blow on the head, when
the fish swan away. w. Barr Brown, Esq,
surgeon, dressed seven wounds, ivo o.
which were very deep, and which pied
pfofuseiy. | wrote 10 this gentleman who
very politely obtained and sent ibis day,
Sept. 1s, 1857, the whole account, in writ-
ing, from the young mans father George
LoBghurst, of Shhhins HilI,j which ! give
as received ii. "Particulars Of an en-
counter with fish N the month of June,
1856. One of my sons, aged 10, went
with three other boys TO baihe in lngie-
nener Pond, near Ascot race-course ne
walRed gently into the water 10 the depth
# about four feet, when he spread out his
aands to attempt to swim, Instantly large
ish came up and took bis hand into his
mouth as fan as the wrist, but, finding hs
:ouId not swallow il relinquished his hold,
nd the boy turning round, PfepaEed for
,asty feirea. out Of The pond as fas, as pos
able. Ny son bad scarcely turned himself +
ound when the fsh came mp behind him
nc Immediately seized bis oshef hand,
.rosswiss, indicling very deep wounds
N The back Of ii the boz raised his first
,it,en and sill blssding arm and struck tie
nonstat hard blow on The head, when :he