Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1869-03-05
HUNTING AND FISHING IN PIERCE
COUNTY.
Trout in June---Maiden ROck---Mc.
Cracker and the Sioux---John
Strong, the Deer Hunters
Rush River!

THE following letter. written by Oliver GIBBS,
Jr addressed to Gen. SPINNER, of the U. S. Treas
ury, and published in WILKES SPIRIT OF THE TIMES,
will be read with pleasure, not only by OLIVER S
many friends in this county. but by all who enjoy
piscatorial sports and dainty writing. As trout
stream Rush River with its tributaries, is not ex-
celled in the cOuntry.-EDs. JOURNAL
WASHINGTON, Jan. %, 1869.
DEAR GENERAL Isl could find any
reason to doubt your candor or to sus-
pect you of an inclination to fatter me,
/ should have some misgivings as to the
pleasure you said my fishing letter, which
YOU published in The Spirit, gave you ;
for | know that man who has seen and
read and enjoyed as many good things
in the fishing line rs you have, would
net be really satisfied with any poor
stuff written on the subject. AS am
bound to believe you did like that letter,
and as l best enjoy my leisure time in
writing up such things. | will try some
thing Of the sort again for your amuse-
ment.
In my former letter, took you part
way around Lake Pepin, looking after
the pickerel, pike-perch, and the bass.-
Let us now go trouting. 1t is June
morning. with " cloudy sky" if not a
" southerly wind" as in the hunters
song. We shall stay at Hicks on Rush
River, and use no straps" but what we
can carry IN our pockets Except the
rods dnder our arms till we reach Mai
den rock, where we shall get team and
perhaps box of ice to save our largest
trout in. We are starting out (of course)
from Lake City. The little steamer
May Queen blows her whistle for us be-
hind the grist-mill ut the landing. Don't
hurry. We will walk leisurely down the
few squares to her, enjoying the beauty
of the blue lake and the bluffs on the
other side, and fill our lungs with the
breezes as we CO. She will wait for us
patiently, for Matthews runs her. the
same as when he took our party to Camp
Estes last summer, and came after us
three days afterwards at time set for
him. am ashamed to say how little
we paid him for those two trips, bnt 1t
was all he asked. This boat makes reg
ular trips across and around the lake,
but as they do not take up all her time,
she is ready, al other hours, for special
service. Give Capt. Matthews notice to
what fishing ground you wish to go, and
he will Sc: you there any day. We are
now going with him on our regular NOR
ming trip to Maiden Rock village, on the
Wisconsin side, eight miles up the lake.
The little steamer is a mere mud-turtle in
size, but neat and comfortable, sharp
built aud not very slow. She soon pla-
cas wide strip of blue water between us
and the startir g place-Lako City re-
cedes from view, except the long point
stretching out into the lake and few
warehouses and large buildings; and
soon we are scudding along the other
shore, close by the high, perpendicular
ledge known as "Maiden Rock" or
Lovers Leap" How bracing and pure
the breezes are How charming the
lake scenery, changing into forms and
cOlors of varying beauty every moment
as we proceed This trip does us good
Goodbye vain world ! We're birds of
paradise going home winging our
everlasting fight to the happy land of
Canaan. Ho ! Geueral-wake up and
see the fish jump. Look now there's
another A bill fish, four or five feet
long, sticks his two-foot bill, like boats
paddle, straight up out of the water
ahead Of us; his chanked dark-bIue body
and white belly follow, of course. He
comes up, seems to stand on his tail, and
then clumsily falls into the water with a
splash, as if some one had thrown q
slab overheard. He got up to see what
boat was coming. Many others, pricked
by the same curiosity, will do likewise
Ii we stand near the nose of the steamer
we shall see them swim around it occa.
sionally and convey us alongside, OIL
dart out of the water from wave to wave
In hot days they will swim lazily by {
boat, dropping their under jaws, and
holding their cavcrnous mouths open a