The Portland daily press., 1883-08-11
Fishing in the Yellowstone Park.

"You were speaking abo4t the PRESIDENT
going to the Yellowstone Park, fishing" OBJ
served smiling gentleman, approaching a
group who were discussing the news Of the
day in Fulton street saloon. "Pm from
Wyoming myself, and Pm somewhat posted
on the locality"
''Won't you join us?' suggested one OF
the party. "Take little something"
"Thats right smart of place for fish,"
continued the Wyoming man, downing a
snifter aud entering Immediately into con-
versation. ''rve fished all over that neck o.
the woods, and 1 telling you that there's
fish to be caught there when all the other
places have been cleaned out"
"What do you catch, mainly?" asked q
greedy listener.
swell, gentlemen, there amt known
fish that doesn't flourish in the streams Of
Yellowstone Park. I've taken trout and
sea bass on the same line at the same time
Had three hooks out, and got two trout on
the upper and lower hooks and sea bass
ON the middler'
'Is the water fresh or salt?' demanded
the man who had offered the stranger hos
pitality.
''Both,' replied the Wyoming man, with
out the shudder of an eyelash. sit runs in
streaks. 1 ketehed a bluefish once, and
there was shad hanging on his tail!
Landed em bothr'
"Come offr' recommended bystander.
"Pm stating facts, gentlemen" persisted
the stranger, stalking off another claim from
the bottle. 'The only trouble about fishing
liz them parts is the jack salmon. They'll
walk right up your line and come ashore on
the polel Had 'em do it a hundred times.
Them jack salmon spoils all the fishing,
and there is only one thing to do with 'em."
There was painful silence. All hands
refused to bite.
''This is no joke, gentlemen" continued
the Wyoming man, apparently hurt by the
manner in which his statement had been
taken. "When you begin to feel that one o.
them jack salmon is in the neighborhood all
you can do is 20 throw stone into the wa
ter, and when he opens his mouth TO swal-
low it fish right down his throat for the eels
that's ia himl Eve ketched ten pound o.
eels at one cast that wayp'
"Wouldn't it be as easy to pull up your
salmon aud cut him open for the eelsr' in
quired practical man.
"Some does" responded the stranger.
But that's no fishing. Anybody could do
that, only he wants to look out for the CT abs
that's there. I've seen some o. them salmon
so full O. crabs that they just billed all over
the neighborhood as soon as the fish was
opened. And they bite, them crabs. I've
known 'em to chase man mile and most
ly ketch him too'
Hadn't you better take another drink
suggested one of the party
Pm agreeable" replied the smiling stran-
ger Speaking of fish, If the President
wants to have some genuine fun, he wants
to cast line in some o. them Geysers.
That's where you get fish. got in there
once about year ago, and ketched thuo-
sand smelts in an hour and quarterl And
troutl Well, should whisper in an under
tonel Pm shouting, gentlemen, when l say
man can take trout out o. one o. them
Geysers that II weigh half toni I've done
it."
81 thought the water in those Geysers was
was warm" Clipped in an unbelieving lis
tener.
'sHot, stranger, hot" protested the un-
abashed Wyoming man.
Sand you pretend to say those fish live in
hot water?'
81 never alluded to the possibility, stran-
ger l didn't even think of it. Them fish
ketched was dead, every fish of 'em dead
and cooked. There's where you get the
bulge on all other kind O. fishing. You get
the fish all ready for the tablep'
THAT sounds reasonable" observed
keen-eyed man. ST think he's telling the
truth. say, how do you catch those fsh?"
with worms, stranger" responded the
Wyoming man, eagerly, rejoiced to find
friend in the crowd. "You bait your hook
with angle worms, and the fish take right
hold as soon as your sinker touches bot
tom."
"Then we are TO understand that dead
and cooked fish will bite at hook, are wes"
asked the kee-eyed man.
sin them Geysers, stranger. They won't
do it anywhere else. In them Geysers they
are hungry for worms, and beside that they
amt cooked until you land 'em. You see,
the water at the bottom o. them Geysers is
cold, and it is the hot water at the top, to-
gether with the friction that cooks 'em.
You don't see it anywhere but in Geysers,
but there you never miss it,"
what an awful liar you arer' remarked
the keen-eyed man.
"That's all right, ssfAnger," sighed the
Wyoming man. II don'i mind your saying
that, because you're Republican, and you
materially don't like to have the bulge on
your President. but when he gets back and
begins to tell what he caught and how he
ketched 'em, you'll remember this CONVERSE
ton with remorse, cause If he don't bear
me out he'll be a little different from any
other man who ever fished in the Yellow
stone Park, and Ive got money at home
that says so.n
And the Wyoming man poured out anoth-
er Gose of rum, and, winking sadly at the
party, took respectful leave for his home
on Myrtle avenue.-Brooklyn igle.