The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-08-26
Frog and DObber Fishing.

Henry Strader is conductor OF the
Erie Railway. Like Judge Ridgway of
Lackawaxen, he is an enthusiastic lover
of the art of angling. Unlike the great
Lackawaxen fisherman, whose fondest
delight it is to lure the pouting-lipped
but somewhat plastic sucker to his tolls
he finds his supremest pleasure IN cast
inc the treacherous fly that tempts the
obstreperous black bass to its death.
The hot weather has greatly interfered
with Mr.. Strader's indulgence in his
favorfte piscatorial pastime, there being
little more work in it than he is con-
stitutionally capacitated to endure with
the thermometer at ninety degrees.
elf somebody would get up an at
tachment to rod that would throw the
fiy and land the fish," said he, the
other day, "he'd make an independent
fortune. I'd get one and go out and
bring in a tubfdl of bass this after
noon"
Attachment be bustedr' said
Charley Lockwood the engineer. ''Why
don't you just put good-sized dobber
on your line, get some young frogs Tor
bait and still-tish for EN-? With that
tackle and bait you can bet you hold
the winnin' hand agin anything the
whole caboodle O. black bass in the
Delaware can pick up agin YOU"
Strader said he didn't much believe
in bait fishing, but he wanted some bass
and he d try the frog and dobber. He
gave a boy quarter to get him q couple
Of dozen of young frogs. They were
nice little green fellows, two inches
long. Hank bought the biggest dobber
he could find. 1t had goose quill
through it and was all painted green.
! "a dObber is pear-shaped piece OF
LIGHT wood that floats in the water, at
tached to the line. 1t keeps the bait in
proper position in the water and disap--
pears when fish seizes the bait and
starts away with it, Mr.. Strader went
down to the river, found shady place
on the bank, put frog carefully on his
hook, threw in and waited for four
pound bass. The frog went to the bot
tom and the dobber looked like green
island.
The still fisherman must have pa
thence. 1t may be an hour before
bite will come along, but the angler is
always in momentary expectation OF
seeing his dobber 90 under the water
with a - swish" and that sustains him.
About three bites an hour is the aver
ape. Mr.. Strader waited. A half hour
went bv. No bite A small boy in a
boat in the middle of the river was pull
ing in bass about every ten minutes.
"What dye bait with?' Hank shout
ed to him.
Z" Frogsr' the boy hallooed back, as
he landed two-pounder in the boat.
Hank thought it was funny that he
didn't get any bite. But he didn't be-
lieve in pulling up bait every little whip
stitch to see what was the matter. I'm
get buster by and by,' he said.
An hour and half passed The
four-pound bass hadn't been hooked yet.
The small boy had caught ali the fish he
wanted and had gone home. The sun
was getting low behind the Pike County
hills. Strader began to get disguised.
1t crept along toward the supper hour.
Blamed if I'm going to lose my sup
per for all the bass in the river" said
he, at last.
He arose and pulled up his line. When
the dobber was lifted from the water
he was amazed to see no line hanging
below it. The next instant he wanted
to swear Costly perched on the big
green dobber sat the little green frog.
He had become tired of waiting for a
bite, too, and had left the watery depths
and boarded the dobber.
That's frog and dobber fishing, is
it?'' said he. :. Well, the next time |
90 frog and dobber fishing I'll stay at
home and try it in a tub.
Mr.. Strader went home by the back
way He bought a ten-cent mackerai
at grocery and had fish for supper;
anyhow.-N. T. San.