Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1869-05-26
A Reverend Trout,Fisher.

trout Every Summer, armed with rod and
gun, he takes himself to the Adirondack
woods and mountains, where he spends O
month ortwo in acquiring stock Of health
for his next ministerial campaign. After
reading the following vivid description OF
the capture ofa "wicked" fish, one can i'm
agine the gustO with which the Revel end
sportsman would describe the hooking of q
wicked land wealthy sinner, from tho mo-
ment that the gospel iron "struck" until the
convert was triumphantly hauledaboard the
"Old ship of Zion.
Reader did yOu ever land trout do
not ask il you ever ierked ONE poor little
fellow outsofa brook three feet across, with
a pole six inches around at the butt, andso
heavy rs to require both hands and feet we'll
braced to hold it out No, thatd not haul
ing trout But did you ever sit in boat
with nine ounces of lance.wood for rod,
and two hundred feet Of braided silk in your
double-acting reel, and hook trout whose
strain brought tip and butt together rs you
checked him in some wild flight, andte
your quivering line from gut to reel-knot
No oneEknows what game there is in trout,
unless he has fought II out matching such
a rod against three pound fish, with forty
feet of water underneath, and clear, unim-
peded sweep around him All, then it is
that one discovers what will and energy lie
within the mottled skin of trout, and what
a miracle of velocity ne Ia when reused.
love the rifle, and have looked along the
sights and held the leaping blood back by
an effort of will, steadying myself for the
shot, when my veins fairly tingle with the
exhileating excitement Of the moment; but
if one should askme what is my conception
of pure physical happiness, should as-
sure him that the highest bodily beetitude
] ever expect to reach is, on some future
day, when the clear sun occasionally yeiled
by clouds, to sit in boat once more upon
that little lake, when John at the paddle,
and match again Conroy rod against q
three ponnd trout. That's what ] cal llhap-
pi1eSS.
Well, as said, struck; and, as weafter-
wards discovered, the huge salmon hook
was buried TO the shank amid the nerves
which lie at the root of trOuts tongue.
Then came fight for the mastery such as
never before had waged with anything
that swims. Words would have life in
them to depict the scene. Quick az flash
before had fairly recovered my balance,
partially lost by the energy with which
struck, the trout started, and before lcould
get pressure on the line, not twenty yard1
were left on the reel. A quick stroke from
John, and the boat shot to enc side; and
bearing stoutly ON him, taking the rod to
the last ounce Of resistance, slowly sway
ed him about and recoyereda a little slack.
After few short sweeps he doubled on the
line and shot straight for the boat as an ar
row from bow.
"Doube, and be hanged to you shouted
John, as he SHE'D the light shell TO one side
and swung it round so as to keep facing the
fish. 'If You get under this boat 1t will c
because its paddle breaks"
Failing in his attempt torun under us, he
dove to the bottom "Let him rest mo.
ment," said john recover your line,
you'll need il when he rises. He's big and
ugly, and his next rush will he like light
ming.
After had stowedaway some forty yards
of line upon the reel. winding it on hard
and evenly, 80 that it would render well; ]
began to feel the fish, The first pressure
ELECTED only a shake. At the next he des.
cribed circle, still keeping to the bottom,
then came again to stand still. He acted
ugly. ! felt then when the rush came, il
would try nerve and tackle alike. EnjOin-
ing John to watch the fish and favor me all
he could, and by no means let him pass
under the boat, gave quick sharp jerk:
my arm was still in the air and the rod un.
Strengthened, when / caught gleam faI
down below me, and before ] had time to
wink the huge fellow parted the wa
ter almost within reach Of my arm, and
when high up in mid-air he shook himself,
the crystals were flung into my face, per.
haps shall live long enough to forget the
picture, as that trout for an instant hung
in the air, his blue back and azure sides
spotted with gold and agate, his fms edged
with snowy white, his eyes, protru.
ding, gills dstended, the leader hanging
from his jaws, while q shower Of pearly
drops were shaken from his quivering sides.
He fell; but while still in the air the boat
glided backward, and when he touched the
water was thirty feet away and ready for
his rush. II came. And as he passed us,
some forty feet off, he Glove the water as q
bolt from across-bow might cleave the air.
Possibly for five minutes the frenzy lasted.
Not word was uttered. The whiz Of the
line through the water, the whir of the fly
ing reel, and an occasional grunt from John
as the fish doubled on the boat were the
only sounds to be heard, when suddenly,
in one of his Widest flights, the terribly
taxed rod Strengthened itself out with q
spring, the pressure ceased, the line slack
ened, and the fish again lay on the bottom
Wiping the sweat from my brow / turned
TO John and said, "What do you think Of
thatY
"Mr. Murray" replied John, laying the
paddle down aud drawing the sleeve of his
woolen shirt across hisSforehead, beaded
with perspiration, Air Murray, that
fish is ugly; if he should get the line over
his back, he'd smash the rod like pipe
stem"
HE won get it over his back, replied I.
Ready with your paddle; he's getting too
much breath"
But 1 say, said John, looking affection.
ately at the rod as he took up the pa ddle
''if was in your place, and he did get the
line over his shoulder, wonld part my
tackle before smashed that rod. y"
II wont do either, john" and 90 I an
swered gave jerk, and the trout started
again, But why repeat9 Why tell Of flights
and rushes which followed Twice did he
break the surface hundred feet away;
Ainging himself out like black bass. Once
did he partially get the leader over his
back and dashed away like lightning; while
John, anxious to save 80 true o rod from
ruin, shouted TO me-: part the gutr But
who ever knew q fisherman, when his
blood Is up, refuse risk TO save the gamel
I screamed to John to shoot the boat on
one side; and when the last foot ofsilk was
given, advanced tho butt. The heavy
fish and plant rod were pitted one against
The other. Three days ister in another
struggle, the old rod parted; but this time
u triumphed. For moment the culver
ing tip ratified upon the bars Of the reel.
The fish struggled and shook himself, but
The tenacious hbres would not part. He
ceased 10 battle, came painting to the sur
lace. and rolled over on his side. The
boat shot toward him, and aait glidcd by
John passed the landing net beneath him,
and the brave hohtar Law uDOn the bott0n