The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1884-09-27
THE KING OF GAME-FIsHEs.

-, - .
IA
THE htNH OF VAME-FlSHES.
Suffering for rTuskaIIoDs,e in the At.
Laxvrence-The CunnIng and Feroci-
ty of the G oIiath OF the Pike Family
An His Contests with Anglers.
Muskallonge fishing in the st. Law
renee River is now at its height, and the
season has thus far been one of un-
usually fine sport. The fish have been
plenty, and plenty, when Speeding of
muskallonge,. means that they are pres
ent in about the proportion ofs one to
one hundred OF pickerel. TAel theory
that the muskallonge is simply aToFer--
grown pike is no longer entertained by
observant piscicnlturists and anglers,
The differences in their appearance, al
though they both belong to the same
family, are plainly. marked. The pike
is of greenish color, with a long, al
igator-shaped. head and under jaw,
which is filled from one end to heother
with long, sharp teeth. The muskal-
longe is marked withblaek on his back,
which color gradually fades and changes
to peculiar yellowish tinge on the
sides, that, in turn, becoming a creamy
white on the belly. Its head is large,
with ponderous jaws. The lower jaw
does not project as far as the pixies or
pickerel's and but half of it is armed
with teeth. The pike seldom grow to
be more than three feet long, and an
eight-pounder is a large one. The mus
kallonge has been known to grow to the
length of six feet, and to weigh eighty
pounds. Those of the st. Lawrence
never attain that size, so far as is known,
but in the lakes of Michigan a ''six-
footer' is not uncommon. The waters
of the Upper Mississippi also abound in
muskallonge of the larger size. A
forty7pounder is no rarity in the st.
Lawrence waters. & FL AkftE5 X
Tie afigler who has never hooked a
muskallonge, especially q large one.
does not know what exciting sport with
the rod is. The muskallonge is the
Goliah OF the pike family, and his great
siz : strength and endurance, and his
tactics when hooked, entitle him to the
position OF monarch OF game fishes. He
is built for swiftness and for offensive
warfare. lie is called to defend himself
against no other tresh-water fish that
swinls, but heissthe native enemy of all,
being literally as Halloek has icalled
him, "a fierce and dauntless marauder. "
Anglers who are expert in both salmon
and mpskallonge fishing do not hesitate
to say That the latter IS much the more
cunning and determined in the methods
he adopts to escape the hook. Quick as
the salmon is, and as sudden IN his
turnings, and whirhnss, and leaping in
maneuvering to break the angler hold,
the muskallonge IS still quicker. OF
superior strength, the muskallonge can
pull SO much harder and. leap 50 much
higher than the salmon that one OF the
former weighing eight pounds Will give
the anglera longer harder, ana more eX,
haustlng ahgnt IMAM q twenty.nVe-pound
salmon could possibly 90, Inc salmon
fisherman knows what twenty-five
pound denlzen at the hestigouehe OF
Saguenay can put angler guide and
boat through IN the course OF an average
struggle; let NM imsglhe' taen' What
forty-pound muskailonge could 90 foi
MN IN the ot; Lawrence
The muskallonge Is panther IN cum
ning ana 1erocity' anu as raVenous as
Won ne nays III walt iol prey III the
weeus along the snoie anu III places
where instinct teac mes, MN Ihat .otnel
nsiles on WHICH ne ~ le eS pass 10 anu lre
OF eongIega1tSe. lhe ieeuS on MS owl
klnu us Ieauii{ % ~ ~ ~ tno 2ee y oerel
specles' ior' my an 1.ie PIAe inniily' M
sdptieSle % favo,;ae lurI;n@ e ,,laco u