The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1870-10-13
HUNTING AND FISHING.
BY YOCNGSTEE.


HUNTING AND FISHING.
BY YOUNGSTEE.
Our forbodings were realized in the MORN
ing, for old Rush was on the rampage; its
current, swollen and rapid, raced by noise
lessly, save when an undermined portion Of
hank would crumble away, and with sharp
splash, darken its already cOtfee-hued surface.
Prospects Of sport for that day were dim in
deed. Nevertheless, whilst breakfaSting, We
determined 10 give Lost Greek a trial, ON the
chance that the shower that had swollen the
river had fallen too far away to affect that
stream. With this change Of venue VIC wen
ded our way along the Rad, following the
river hank, and passing pool after pool, rip
pie after ripple, tempting to The angler as
gems to dainty dame, but all spoiled by
tina, slllcn, Opaque food. What were the
torments of Tantal,s and his confrsres in
misery TO those We experienced ON that bleak
morning. That venerable stone HEAVIER,
SysyPhus, was in clover compared To us,
while Ixion could he fairly said To revel in
bliss. Now my sentence for Those worthless
would have been to fish III such pools ~
these, where they know there are plenty oi
trout, with perpetual rise to the water and
none whatever to the fish.
For keen-e,iged refinement Of cruelty
this c,n double discount and give fifty points
to anything know Of, except reading ''l1o-
tbair'-there its very nearly an even game.
A mile Of this Flooding brought us to
where Lost Creek became verIsa-
bly lost in the main stream, fOr,
gloria! how quickly its bright, clear waters
caught the detiling tince of Rush, But,
hurrah! the creek was in fine condition,
"ready to receive company" and with new
vigor, We followed its windings through the
woods, crossing here and there as the path
led acruss its messy bed. Soon Hobbs saw
mill came in view and was left behind, for
our purpose was to commence nile or 30
upstream, and fish down to the river.
As though to add to our already buoyant
spirits, the sun pcepe,l now and then from
behind his vaPory screen, staying just long
enough to brighten the pathway, and glad
den the spring foliage with his smile, then
retrcatiny, for Il rest until another break in
the mist would again call him forth. Every
turn in our road brought some new beauty.
Here steep cliti Crevice,l and scanned with
aye, fringed with growths Of red cellar and
pine, while at its base broad transpa-
rent sheet Of water reflected each little tut Of
moss or trailing vine, seemingly Ear in its
depths, until this natural mirror is shat
tered by bold leap Of the monarch Of the
pool-a our-pounier at least.
Further ON, the creek broa.len> over u bed
If solid rock, covered with dark green moss,
and comes sweeping along to where a huge
boulder catches the current, turns II into a
flaming chute of as many feet IN width rs
before il had yards, and sends it s.cthing
along, To again widen into Il home for .nfn,o
toatinatis Thus We tr,idgc al"ng-birds
singing, squirrels scrambling hastily with a
| chat chatter, till from sale position they
could watch these intruders. Whir! whir.-
rufied grouse rising in alarm and booming
over the brush for more retired cover. At
last, al the lower end Of a long stretch Of
smooth water We halted hastily jointcl rods,
and with leaders and flies adjusted j advan-
ced for my maiden cast in Lost Creek
when peep, peep, from the grass on the
very edge beneath my feet, went 4 whole
family Of ducklings, scu'ldinS for dear life
across the placid surface. Pretty little crca-
tures! how lightly they grazed the water.
Now they reach the opposite side, and scat
tering in all directions, are soon hidden in
the weeds. A quick, glancing shadow sweep
ing about us showed the mother duck
anxiO,sly circling about searching for hcl
brood. ''All right, old lady, but let this b
a warning to You never to wander again
without calling neighbor in to mind the
babie,.-that il, If the lord and master wont
stay at home"
Stay at home. But this is not Il duck
1 Nj
| first cast was greeted Ivy rise of half
casts brought him, though, and, playing
with him carefully towards the foot OF the
pool, landed him after sharp struggle,
my first trout, and although a half-pound
does not sound immense, vet let me tell YOU
trout vi that size is 10 lingering. 1t j.
very easy to catch four or five FOUNDERS ON
paper; but when it comes to an eight-ouncs
rod and single gut leader, it's no child
play to bring one TO basket, when he's
once on-and then the duce Of it is to get
him on. Another cast, greeted as before by
an immediate rise, and soon another half
FOUNDER was condoling with the first caught.
The hole was well stocked with the game
fish, and by the time their rising commenced
to .lacken, had sixteen trout, ranging from
quarter Of a pound, TO 4 pound and three
quarters. Numberless smaller ones j had
returned for seed, with a gentle reminder to
wait till called for next year, when ID. w..
youngsters" rod will wave over that poo
again.
| "Oliver," in the meantime, hal been
I PLAYING everlasting ruin to a deep run below.
Sill clinging To his favorite baii-fishing, ht
had succeeded admirably, a. his crcel fully
showed, already hall filled, as it WIZ, with a
brace of Founders living Spoon fashion, u
with fifteen magnificent fellows not mucl,
smaller. The two largest he had caught
from beneath 4 pile Of drift. The first, the
male, had twice followed the bait out from
his shelter, doubtful and wary, but quicl
movement If the rod, thai sent the bit oi
trout whirling like 4 minnow, removed all
suspicion, and with quick, sharp dash, lac
was on, fast hooked. One astOnishcd shake
Of the head, then around the pool he went
like racer, darling nadly for the cover;
another Of the same size now s1liiei forth,
and keeping side by side, as if u encourage
her lord, around they circled together, and
when at length exhausted, dying, the fish
was drawn mp into the shallow; his faithful
mate followed closely n far as possible, then,
with quick turn, daIted beneath the drift.
A fresh bait, deity managed, decoyed heI
forth again, however, and soon she gave heI
last spring into friend ''Oiiver's' creel.
Whilst ''Oliver' was narrating this Incl;
dent was inclined at first to regard it as 4
touching evidence Of piscatorial affection.
That the female should follow him about
thus was inexplicable. But her forgetting
her widowhOOd so soon TO go for the sec
Ond bait rather left her iadyship open to the
suspicion that the prime attraction was her
masters meal, not his distress, the gready
creature. Thus we fi-hed the stream down,
until had filled creel, lunch-pail, and rock
cts with such an array of trout as would have
gladdened any three anglers if divided among
them, while SOLVER" was festooned with
them strung on twigs after his creel had been
filed. Here ceased and unjointed my rod,
for although not halfway down the creek,
really had no way Of carrying more.
''O.iver" still waded along, playing the
trout right and left-so, after promising to
wait for him at Hobbs, l walked towards the
mill. When reached the still water at the
head Of the dam the trout were rising on all