The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-06-30
FISHING IN PIKE COUNTY.
THE REMARKABLE EXPERIENCES or
Ex-JUSIICE JOHN SCOTT.
He Discovers n New Way 10 Catch rickereI.
Makes the Acquaintance OF BuiIhead Lee,
and has AN Adventure with n Fish Hawk.

He Discovers n New Way 10 Catch rickereI,
Makes the Acquaintance OF Huiihead Lee,
and has an Adventure with n Fish Hawk.
Ex-Pulice Justice John Scott Of this city
returned few days since from fishing excur-
zion in the Pike County wilderness. With
Messrs. John c. Westbrook and John Gailliard
Of Milford he camped out three days on Little
Walker Pond and one lay on Big Walker Pond.
The former Is supposed to contain trout In
the latter the voracious and tenacious pickerel
is alleged to lie In wait for the alluring spoon
hook and treacherous live bait OF the fisherman.
The Justice brought back with him a splendid
specimen Of cold in the head, and the following
truthful account OF some OF his experiences In
Pike County:
Il don't care 80 much about trout fishing but
told John c. Westbrook that II he knew OF any
place where could get hold OF some pckerel.
there was where l wanted to CO. SO John c.
said we'd go to the Walker ponds. because
then could take out what pickerel wanted
from one Of tho ponds. and he could capture his
favorite trout ia tho other. The pickerol 'aint
very large in the Walker Pond said John. but
they're plenty SO we went to Walker Pond.
Now, I'm giving you an idea OF the size
OF the pckerel in that pond when l tell
you that used q sinner OF ordinary size for
bait. nshcd three hours. Every little while
I'd get what thought was bite. I'd yauk up
my hook and find nothing. What bothered mo
was that tho sinner Rcemed ms lively as when l
first put the hook through him. And another
thing puzzled me. Tho sinner began to swell
out like toad flsh. believe that hook has
poisoned that fish said to myself; so pulled
him out of the water took out my hook; ana
dropped tho sinner In the bottom 81 the Doht;
He died in little while. Then though, a
lust open him and SEQ what was the matter.
| found nine pickcrcl in him. The Id pick
erel were SO small in that pond that the bait lsh
| quit and pulled to shore. John c. and
Gailhnrd were over in the Liule Walker, fishing
| Tor trout. when got ashore ! found m oil
fellow that lived near the pond fishing Tor tuil.
heads BE yop ,r3m the sly h hs asked Ssss
could get hold Of a few. good ones, ! told
| him. ia hc suited tn death. Wud y like pay
| n couple dollars L Kit some good ouesr re-
Piled that would readily invest that much for
| little genuine sport
| " The Pike County man stopped TO attend To-
| bite on his line. He pulled out bullhcad the
| size OF pug dog took II on his hook dropped II
| in his boat on top OF abou; half bnslel others.
| lrisurey wound NJ his line. aud then said :
| Come long o. me- | followed with my pail OF
| bait FISH and my tackle. The PIN" County man
| VIZ came to u pond about the size OF tho ioun.
| tain basin in City Hall Park Now. h'ycr y'll
| have some fun. he said. l was sweating ana
| take the two dollars right h'yer, he added. +
you don't kctrh any fish. y'll find me over Z Big
| Walker ynnkin bullncadS. n II REFUND. ne
showed me- II box made with Stats and having .
| lid with leather hinges. One end was stuck
down In the mud and the box was hall full OF
| water. The countryman told me TO open the
| lid and put my ish In that box as fast ns !
caught them. and that would keep them fresh
| with my two dollar bill in his pocket.
| began to fish. Tho first throw caught
pckerel that would weigh two pounds easy.
| This is pretty good. thought. ! kept on fsh-
ing, and every little while I'd haul out pick
| ercl. put the fish all in the .,ox, rs had been
| instructed to do by the Pike Countan.
caught twenty pickere before II began to strike
| me as something singular that they were all as
NTH pickerc 1t occurred to me rs being n little
remarkable that there WAS SO little commotion
in the box. When | opened it and put my
sSepe' s There wasn't hsh IN The box. One
| sat was on the end Of the box that had been In
| the water and the pickerclhad passed back into
II started hack after the Pike County man.
he had probably caught all tho hullheads he
| wanted. for he WIS nowhere to be seen. Then
! went over 70 Little Walker ana told John =,
about the tweniy-six splendid pickcrel had
caught. and how they had got away John
IVY Don't feel 50 bad. judge said he. You
only lost one fish. That's old Bullhead Lees
pet plckereL He's always hungry. and you've
caught him twenty six times
But had some good sport At Little Walker
Pond had borrowed Ell. Cahill's $40 Conrol
trout rod thinking might want change from
pickere fishing. John G. and Gaiilard hnt
lrst da, we were there they thought they woult
GO over and try thor luck in Carr's Rock brook
| II was n long walk and / concluded 20 stay a
the pond and try Cahills rod and Mes. GU
tent WIS near the shore Of the pond. John G
had taken his rifle along in hope that we Nigh
| run across bear or 50 and fetch EN- down.
tshed good part OF the day and didn't have
| much luck. Along toward evening saw q biz
trout jumping for flies about twenty feet from
| shore, opposite the tent. | stood on the shor
and dropped my flies over where tho trout wa
making out n supper. He nabbcd one OF m
hooks quicker than lightning. and the mex
minute WAS max ing the reel hum AS he rushel
out toward the middle Of the pond. He tool
every foot Of line there was on the reel hefor
he stopped, and when he stopped he leaped on
Of the wRter-well. two feet. thought sure IL
whale While was trying to reel in some a
; the line saw n fash Of something that seeme
O to drop from the sky. and then heard plung
in the water. There was "A great splas
. and struggle in the pond for sec
| ond or two. and then | saw mon
ster fish hawk sailing of with my trou
| Before | could recover from my surprise IN
$40 rod was ierked from my hands and fol
| lowed thc hawk and fish. There was only on
thing to do. John C.'s rife stood against a tire
| ten feet away. | jumped for IT, Tho haw
y | didn't look much bigger than a pigeon, and tn
, | trout rod hHd dwindlod to "A school boys arrow
| drew bead. The ball went where 1t wa
sent; the hawk tumbled into the middle OF III
| pond. | rowed out and found il dead In th
! water Its talons still grnsped the trout. M
: ! the line and rod were still attached 10 the fist
l had 20 cut the tendons Of the hawks claws
get EN- loose. The trout weighed nearly Nv
| pounds"