Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-09-20
1alfs aud Sketfhfs.
SpeariDg Fish at Night.
STRANGE SIGHTS SHOWN BY THE JACK
LIGHT IN THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

IN IhE LA W hE-NNb AA' GAs'
HE druv me clean out of the boat, :"
said St. Lawrence fisherman as the jack
light illuminated long silvery fish that
he was pummeling with patent head
acher. II took him for a pickerel. and
the minute | landed him he got off the
spear and began a-snappin' and goin' for
me, so Jest lit out and let him have the
hull boat to himself. They're regular
! fresh-water sharks"
The great fish was gar, nearly four
feet long. one of the most powerful fishes
of the ST. Lawrence and the great lakes.
unfit for food, with a long, slender muzze,
armed with powerful saw-like teeth. The
boats were rugged with braziers over the
bow. in which burned pine knots that cast
lurid light above the smooth waters OF
the lake and illumined the depths far be-
low. As the boat drifted slowly along,
propelled by an occasional push, all the
curious objects of the bottom came plain
! ly into view. The green and purple
grasses assumed strange ghostly tints in
! the ruddy glare. and the white sand patch
es that appeared here and there glistened
/ like beds OF silver. The light penetrated
the darkest hooks and corners, starting
the black bass which darted away in
alarm Dusky cells were outlined upon
the bottom, remaining 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 illustrated as many
different traits and habits.
IF one of them fellows ever gets hold
on you," continued the dripping oarsman,
referring to the gar, "he'll make his
mark. They come around here by spells.
Sometimes you won't see one for year,
and then they come with rush. They
amt afraid of nothin' A man by the
name of Bailey, that lived down the river
here piece, went out fishin' one day, and
fouled a long silk line. He didn't want
to lose it, so he stripped and went down
in about fourteen feet of water to unwind
it from the snag. | was fishin' about one
hundred feet away. and was watchin'
him, and it seemed so long afOre he come
up that was jest goin' to pull up and 90
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 a sight to look at.
lie was list gashed all over, so't you'd
thought he'd been goin' over a circular
saw. The poor fellow couldn't say moth
in. | happened to have some salt in the
boat, so put that on and it soon stopped
the blood. Then he told me how it was.
When he went down no had hold on the
line, and had got most down to the hook
when he felt jab in the side, jest as if a
sword had cut him, and turnin' he see it
was a big gar-fish, In second the crit
ter had shot by and come tor him again,
and took him in the arm, and in the strug-
gle to get out of the way he got wound in
While he was kickin' and irwin to get
away, the fish Jest made target of him
until the line broke and he got clear.
There's muskrats nest" said the po-
Ter, as the glare or the jack threw mass
of weeds into sudden brightness. They
are regular night animals he added.
You jest watch the water while | stir
'em up He thrust his oar down into
the mass and in moment several dark
forms were seen swimming from the nest.
One came up near the water, as if attract
ed by the light. which proved potent
charm for many of the insect tribe, myriads
of which fluttered about.
Look there!'' exclaimed the polar
again, pointing to a half-submerged rock
on which the 1.-THE form of a water snake
glistened. "Jest wait moment and I'll
show you some curious fishin'." Taking
his delicate hy-rod, he put on live min
now from the pail and gently laid it in
front of the reptile. Hardly moment
elapsed before the latter had it and was
writhing in the air, winding about the line,
and finally dropping to the water and es-
Gaping, as it was not hooked, its teeth be-
ing merely caught in the bait.
There's place up here" continued
the boatman, ''about three miles, they
call Snake Roll where I've seen some
queer sights. They call it roll because
the snakes are often seen rollin' down
hill. The first time | ever see it, see a
ball about as big as a large-sized cabbage
came rollin' down hill toward me as |
went up. One minute it would 90 kinder
fast, then hold up bit. and almost stop.
| thought it was mighty curious, and when
| 9oi to it | tell you it Civ me turn
There it was a ball of snakes, the heads
a-stickin' out on all sides, and a-hissin'.
was ateared to touch it. as there are So
many that if they were all scattered,
would be bound to run over some Of EN-,
so let 'em roll on.
Hear that ?' said the talkative guide,
presently. as we moved in towards a
sandy shore, and several splashes disturbed
the smooth surface of the lake. Il don't
know for sartn', but that sounded to me
. like mice"
"Mice in the water" asked one of the
party.
"Sartin. Mice swim Jest like a duck,
and down by the mouth of the river they
take to the water like EN-. | happened
to know this way: went down the river
tishin' with gentleman, and one day he
says to me, Jim, jest save the stomachs
of them trout, as | want to see what they
feed on. The next day he found that eight
or ten out of twenty five trout had been
feedin> on mice. thought it was kinder
curious eatin' for trout, but the man was
pullin' for said there wasn't nethin curl.
Gus in it, and wanted me to get some live
mice for bait. He said the mice went into
the water at the spawning time of fishes,
mostly at night, and as the eggs are laid
in shoal water. they would dive down to
the bottom after them. and in doing this
the trout would get 'em. Since then I've
often seen mice a-leapin' overheard. and