The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-04-14
An Extraordinary Feat in Fishing.

Recently. quite an odd and somewhat
remarkable occurrence tookplace with a
party of ladies and gentleman who were
spending the day at Wakulla spring, a
favorite pleasure resort, situated about
fifteen miles southwest from the city :.
The party had taken a boat and f1oated
out over the wonderful spring to admire
it's beauties and grandeur-gazing down
in it's vast cavernous depths, where the
pure white limestone walls, cliffs, ,jut-
ting crags and snowy Spars, are wrap
ped in the brightest Of prismatic huoS.
Suddenly one Of the ladies exclaimed :
("Oh! I have dropped my ring!" and,
sure enough, it had slipped from her
finger while she was playing in the
water, and there it went, before the eyes
of the whole party, circling and flashing
as it decended into the translucent
depths. All at once, when it had at
tained depth of about eighty-tive feet,
and while all were intently watching
its descent, a trout darted from the
shadow of the submerged cliff and swal-
lowed it in twinkling. The fish then
Aoated slowly back into its lurking
place. The lady was inconsolable over
her loss for the circlet was heavy
gold one which, rumor says. had been
placed upon her pretty forefnger by
but never mind-or, well-a friend! 1t
was considered gone for good and al
ways, but a young gentleman of an in
genious turn of mind. who happened to
make one of the party. bethoueht him
of an e1pedient which lie considered
worth trying. Says he: GAS his trout
ship seems fond of the precious metal,
let's offer him some more; perhaps he
will prove as avaricious when it is in
sight as most men do" With this he
borro wed q ring from another of the
ladies present and tied it securely to a
hook at the end of long hand line,
which he then began lowering into the
water, which is as clear as crystal. The
line was let out between eighty and
ninety feet, at which depth the hook
with the ring on it hung near the shade ow
of the cliff from which the fish had
emerged. 1t had been dangling there
but a moment or two when a trout was
seen to swim slowly toward it from the
shadow. When almost within reach Of
it, the young man made a motion as il
to withdraw it; but as quick as thought
the trout struck at it and was securely
hooked. He then began rapidly draw
, ing the line in, and the trout was soon
brought to the surface and deposited in
side the boat, quite dead, having been
drowned by being drawn so rapidly
from so great depth. The fish, which
weighed about two pounds, was imme-
diately cut open and judge of the sur
prise of the whole party at finding in it's
stomach-no ring!-wrong fish, you
see.
We know that was mean, but we could
not help it. However, to pacify you,
patient reader, we will tell you that a
second trial better rewarded their eff
forts; for when the second fish was
drawn up and cut open, there lay the
lost ring in its stomach safe and sound.
to the great delight of the late discom-
fitted lady and the no less surprise of the
whole party. As such sport is rarely
met with, it was followed up, and seve-
raj other fish of the same kind and about
the same size were secured in like man.
ner. All of them were dead when
drawn to the surface.
This may sound little unreasonable,
but persons who are acquainted with
the spot and the remarkable clearness of
the water-which is 80 clear that a
nickel looks as large as life two hundred
feet below the surface-will readily
credit the statement. We could give
the names Of all the parties witnessing
the str ange occurrence, all of whom will
vouch for the entire truthfulness of this
narrative, but do not consider it neces-
sary.-Tauahassee (F2a.) F1oTsdian.