The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1884-10-01
SPEARING FISH AT NIGHT.
STRANGE SIGHTS SHOWN BV THE
JACK LIGHT.
Catching n SNw-tOOthod monster-A
Divers Advent nrc with CAR
fish-Mice as Halt for Trout.


nHe druv me clean out of the boat,
said n st. Lawrence fisherman as the jack
light illumined long silvery fish that he
was pummelling with a patent headacher.
al took him for pickerel, and the
minute l landed him he got of the spear
and began a-snappin' and goin' for me,
so Jest lit out aud let him have the hull
boat to himself. They're reglar fresh
water sharks"
The great fish was gar nearly four
feet long, one of the most powerful fishes
of the st. Lawrence and great lakes, unit
for food, with a long, slender muzzle,
armed with powerful, saw like teeth.
The boats were rugged with braziers over
the bow, in which burned pine knots that
cast lurid light about the smooth
waters of the lake and illumined the
depths far below. AS the boat drifted
slowly along, propelled by an occasional
push, all the curious objects of the bot
tom came plainly into view. The green
and purple grasses assumed strange
ghostlv tints in the ruddy glare, aud the
white sand patches that appeared here
and there glistened like beds of sill
yer. The light penetrated the darkest
hooks and corners, starting the black
bass, which darted away in alarm. Dusky
eels were outlined upon the bottom, re-
naming quiet until they felt the spear, as
if paralyzed by the sudden blaze of light.
The chubby rock bass started upward, as
if attracted by the glow; the pickerel
moved slowly away, as if half asleep, while
host of other forms of aquatic life illus
trated as many different traits and hab-
its.
"If one of them fe!lers ever gets hold
on yo1, continued the dripping oarsman,
referring to the gar "he'll make his mark.
They come around here by spells. Some
times you won't see one for year, and
then they come with a rush. They amt
afraid of nothin'. A man by the name
of Bailey, that lived down the river here
a piece, went out fishin' one day, and
fouled long silk line. He did not want
to lose it, so he stripped and went down
in about fourteen feet of water to unwind
it from the snag. l was fshin' about a
hundred feet away, and was watchin' him,
and it seemed so long afore he come up
that was just goin' to pull up and go
over, when up he come and gev yell
that was enough to make your hair stand
on end. He hollered for me and threw
up his arms. up anchor and soon had
hold on him and jerked him into the boat,
and tell you he was sight to look at.
He was jist gashed all over, so't you'd
thought he'd been goin' over circular
saw. The poor feller couldn't say nuth
in; l happened to have some salt in the
boat, so / put that on and it sooI
stopped the blood. Then he told mt
how it was. When he went dowI
he had hold on the line, and haC
got most down to the hook when h,
felt a jab in the side, jest as if a sworC
had cut him, and turnin' ne see i
was big gar6sh In a second the crit
ter had shot by and come for him again
and took him in the arm, and in tn
struggle to get out of the way he go
wound in the line and couldn't get up o.
down. While he was kickin' and tryin
to get away the fish Jest made target o
him until the line broke anG he go
clear.
''There's muskrat's nest" said tn
poler, as the glare of the jack threw
mass of weed into sudden brightness
"They're regular night animals, " he add
ed. ''You Jest watch the water while
STIR 'em up" He thrust his oar dow
into the mass, and in moment sewers
dark forms were seen swimming from tn
nest One came up near the top of tn
water, as if attracted by the light, whic
proved a potent charm for many c
the insect tribe, millions of which Hut
tered about.
''Lock theren exclaimed the pole
again, pointing to half submerged roc
on which the little form of a water snak
ghstened "Jest wait minute and L
show you some curious tishin'." Takin
his delicate fly rod, he put on a live mil
now from the pail and gently landed
in front of the reptile. Hardly a mt
ment elapsed before the latter had it an
was writhing in the air, winding abel
the line, and finally dropping to the WI
ter and escaping, as it was not hooked
its teeth being merely caught in IL
bait.
''There's place up here, continue
the boatman, ''about three miles, they ca
Snake Roll, where I've seen some que
sights. They call it roll because Il
snakes are often seen rollin' down hill
The first time ever see it l see a ba
about as big as a large sized cabbal
come rollin' down hill toward me as
went up. One minute it would 60 kind
fast. then hold up bit, and almost sto
thought it was mighty curious, al
when got to it tell you it gave me
turn There it was, a ball of snakes, I'll
heads a-stickin' a out on all sides, and
hissin'. / was afeared to touch it,
there was so many that if they were I
scattered l would be bound to run ov
some Of 'em, so let 'em roll on.
"Hear thatl" said the talkative guild
presently,a as we moved in toward sant
shore, and several splashes disturbed t
smooth surface of the lake. II dol
know for sartln, but that sounded to l
like mice. "
"AIice in the water2" asked one of t
party.
"Sartin. Mice swim jest like due
and down by the mouth of the riY
tbau foLro fn ba .uafar lfLya 'apn / ho