Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1869-04-02
Hunting and Fishing in the west.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 20, 1869.

DEAR GENERAL:-I have received
from our friend General George w.
Baloch president of the Burns Club,
and man VINO has more or less fish
scales sticking to his fingers. you know,)
a letter enclosing n fish-hook of rare pat
tern and great size, captured by him at
tie taking of Savannah in 1864. The
hook is wha. we want for the forty
pound pickerel that broke DIR. Estes
tackle at Lake Pepin last summer, and
1t has accordingly gone to the Doctor,
who will attach II correctly to the proper
gimp, and save it for US, for future tri-
umphs at " Camp Estes" or some other
lovely spot to be named Z" Camp Bal
loeb" when next, heigh-ho! we fishing
90! But lest we forget the fish hook, in
the care of business, let us I" set it to
music" in the following rhymes, which,
if they have no other merit, will un.
doubtedly supply the historical facts as
to what General Baloch captured the
fish hook for, and what he was doing Mt
Savannah to keep himself out of mischief
after the army had been served with its
regular rations:
OLD FRIENDS REUNITED.
The lannon's voice is dumb around Savannah,
And hushed the filters and the drummers;
The rank and file of :. Sherman's bummers''
Are busy making friends with Clara and Susan
nah:
The quartermaster's men are gathering in the
plumber,
While SOuthrOns view the scene with sullen won
der:
And meath the wide verandahs and the PALM
The staff write general orders and drink lemon
ade.
with stick in it,
Now from the COmmissary quarters--duty's rou-
tine over
Looking with sunny smiles toward the sea.
To where his lOlg-lost friends the fishes be.
Comes tall and bonnie Balloch, sauntering down
Beyond where Gideon's band are fishing up tor
pedOes.
To some good fishing spot straightway he goes;
And. better now than being - food for POWDER"
Behold him hobbing for the army's chowder!
If General Balloch doesn't like this,
he needn't paste it into his scrap-book.
We will now proceed on orr excursion
up Rush River.
While Nichols lets down the check
reins and gives his horse drink at the
ford, we will watch the school of trout
on the shallow ripple below us. The
horses hoofs and the wagon wheels kick
ed mp roll as we drove into the ford,
and started the school from the foot of
the ripple 10 pick up any food displaced
and set floating towards them. No
doubt they have already smacked their
mouths over many little animal created
for their use, jostled off down stream,
wriggling vainIy against the current
too small, perhaps, for our vision, but
quickly discovered bv the sharp eyes of
the trout. Our troop of speckled friends
advanced feeding in disorderIy manner,
till they observed that we were not go.
ing right on about our business. and
then they SHE'D into the group we are
now looking at, like flock of sheep
startled by the sudden appearance of a
bear taking observations of them near
the edge of adjacent woods. They look
very much composed however. Their
whole appearance is confiding and soci-
able-the same as that of friendly dog
that will approach stranger to within
a certain distance. and then stop and
waggle his tail, as these trout do theirs.
We read somewhere that the duck goes
into the water for diUers reasons, and
comes out for sundry motives. 1t is for
diverse reasons that the fish and the
friendly dog perform their waggle. The
dog gives it by a sign of aminty; with
the fish it is the motion of that locomo-
ton which, as you see it IN the numer-
Gus trout before us, aims at no forward
movement at all, but only TO keep them.
selves in position against the pressure of
the current. Thus tho fish uses his
"caudal" to keep himself stationary or
to 60 ahead, according. TO circumstances;
and in either case it is both for ornament
and use. Confidng as these trout look.
each cunning eye is regarding us intent
ly, and they are ready, at the first sus.
picious symptom about this wagon. to
whirl and disappear. 1 will take up
Nichols whip and give its lash ono
throw, like an old-fashioned stage-driver
picking fly with the snapper of his
whip from the car of bis lead horse.
That is precisely the cast Of the fly-fish
man. "Quick out of water Time -
Cor Seth Green's school of fly-fsher-