The Columbus journal., 1884-11-19
Catching BuIlheadS.

00O the IdIllt duu ChAS VI
cars are sources of constant irritation.
would find peace in the cool and quiet
shades on the banks of the Cattarau-
gus. There is little current in the
water. and the only sounds that disturb
the air are an occasional ''chug," which
follows the plunge of an overgrown
frog, and the cheerful note OF the red
winged blackbird IS he sways up aDd
down on the limb of q willow. But no
tired man of business could appreciate
pleasures of such a solitude more than
the native-born Irvingite. Notthat the
Iryingite becomes overworked ano
signs for rest. Neither does he become
'overrested, for the extreme capaclty1or
rest of an Irving man has never been
tested. He appreciates the solitudes
talonp the dead creeks because he tnds
there good places for still fishing. AT
all hours of the day and at most hours
of the night during warm weather there
are not a few men and boys in various
patient attitudes of rcpose along the
banks of the Cattaraugus and the dead
creeks.
At a bend in one Of these creeks, not
very far from the big sand dunes. was
a bare-footed, tow-headed boy at dusk
last night. He was dressed in a broken
straw hat. a bingham waist, and q pair
OF brown leans trousers that were kept
in place when he was on his feet by a
single white cotton suspender. His
feet were hanging down over the water
as he sat on the sodded banks. He was
stringing common earth worms
wise on a piece of white cotton tWine
by the aid of a Garning needle. When
he had surrounded a half a yard OF the
Irvine with the worms he tied the W.
ends of the Irvine together, and then
doubled over the stringcd r till
they hung in a bunch like a tassel.
Around this he tied the end Of a fish
line attached to 4 slender twelve-foOt
soft-maple pole. ,
"What are you going to do with
that?"
..Ketch some b~ullheads?"
ssWhere's your hCok?"
'.Don't need none.'
"Don't need any hook"
SHAW"
The boy swung the bunch OF worms
out and lowered it into the water with:
out q ripple near the roO of an old
sycamore stump. In about a minute
he began to raise it very deliberately
out of the water. When the end OF the
line reached the surface q catfish was
hanging fast to the tassel of bait. The
fish chung to the bait while tho boy
slowly swung il over the land and gave
the pole a smart shake; then it fell or
the grass and Topped vigorously:
s.Them bullheads is such dodblastec
hogs they don't know when they've go
enough" the boy remarked.
Old John Heresy sat in the fish shanty
Ut the mouth of the creek when he wa
told of the exploit. He said: 1.-The DO!
was bobbing for catfish. His fathe
came from Jersey where cells are a:
plentiful as mosquitoes. They bob TO
eels there, only theyuse yarn to strlnf
the worms on instead of Irvine. Th'
cells catch their teeth in the yarn. Th
bullheads hang on Just as the boy said
because they don't know enough to lie
20. They keep trying to swallow tn
bait. | can tell of another queer wa
to catch bullheads. There was a cha
here from Down East last spring tha
could give us all points on catchin
fish. He was walking along on til
banks of the dead creek out by tbs
sycamore stump one evening. 1t wa
warmish like. and nothing stirring.'
s'.Good time to catch a string
b~ullheads," said L. Guess I'll get
pole and try EN-. Want a pole ?
".Yes, you might bring me one
said he.
with that he sat down o. the era!
and took what / thought was a papt
l,., fr,,, hic .naf nnntnf VVhI
l started for the shanty. l was bac
in ten minutes, and found three tr
fish living on the grass with the
mouths slit open. How had he caugl
them? With a thread and needl
You don't believe that, do you? 1t
true, though. In that bundle was
spool of stout linen thread and q thic
needle about two inches and a quartz
long. He drew the end of the threa
through the eve OF the needle until b
had end enough to whip halfthe lengt
of the needle, leaving the upper ha
clear. and the point sticking up towar
the spool when the thread hung dOwr
Then he split a bullet half in two wit
his iacknife, pressed it on to the threa
a foot from the needle, turned over
log and got \ couple of worms, strur
one lengthwavs on the needle so that q
inch or so dangled loose, and droppt
Il in. Ii required about two minut,
to get the Job lone and a fish biting
Il should think the fish would drt
off"
$50 should |, but the fish swallow
the needle right down. and when t
strain comes on the line the point o t.
needle is fetched up against the mou
and the other end slowed around SO (
needle was croSswayS."
What were the Sits in the mOu
for?"
s.He cut the needle ont after kill
the fish by n smart blow on the head
As the law does moi permit the use
nets. the fishermen that still rem:
here Use night lines. A strong CT
about the size of 4 clothes lire, a
long enough 10 reach across the cret
is used. Every three or four feet
stout. double cord. two feet long, W
a three inch hook ut the blight, is
tached TO the big line. These hooks
baited with bits of beef liver or L
frogs, or beef itself. One end of
big line is secured to the root of a tr
and the line is then stretched across
creek. The line is raised twice \ d
Catfish from three to four feet long
frequently caught. They bring e
prices from farmers, who drive 10
distances TO buy them
Catfish when small are a superior
fish. The flavor. according to some
perts, is second only to the trout. I
bones are not troublesome. The lar.
fish are great favorites also amongth
who know how to cook them. I
Irving method is to cut them into C
venient pieces and cover them "
water in a frying pan. When the
is pretty well cooked, the water
drained off and a gravy made of but
and cream is poured over the fl
When this has been brought to a I
the fish is served hot. 1t is delicious
Cor. N. Y. san.
The Fur Trade Of Alaska.