The Wilmingtonian. (Wilmington, Del.) 1882-188?, 1884-08-02
SATURDAY AUGUST ., 1854.
RAIL, ROD AND STREAM.
Fishy Items From the Land of Hogs and
Cider.

FOR THE WIInuNGToNIAN.
For nearly two weeks persistent rumors
Of large catches of bass in the Chadd's Ford |
district had disquieted the slumbers of the |
writer of this essay. The last monster,
reported to have tipped the beam at five
pounds, put the finishing touch to the bust
ness and after bad nights rest on Friday
of last week, the early hours of Saturday
morning found an excited scribe iourneyng
into Chester county as fast as the Whining
ton and Northen Railroad could take him.
There were plenty of anglers on the train,
whose faces bore tokens of the same dis
quoting influences, and who, as they got off
at Granogue, Brookfield and Chadd's Ford,
had plainly resolved to do or die in the
encounter with the capricious and gamy fish,
for whose appetites their minnow cans had
been specially stocked 1t seemed more
than likely to be case of the parturent
mountain and the ridiculous mouse, but hope
springs eternal in the human heart, and in
none more gaily than the anglers.
At Pocopson, three miles above Chadds
Ford the writer alighted and established
Elisha Darlington, the descendant of IA
family which has given a name and fame to
nearly every nook and corner in this section
of Chester county. Of course Mr.. Darling
ton had caught the bass-fever, like every one
else, and inquiry ELECTED that he and "Uncle
Joe,'' and all the farm hands had taken a
day off, to do battle with the finny tribe in
their own fashion.
What sight for caricaturist was that
hundred yards of roadway at Dungeon Bot
tom, along the banks OF the Brandywine'
where the stream flows majestically over its
rocky bed, six feet below. EARLY as the
hour was, dozen rods could be counted
within as many yards, and every half houl
or so dearborn from West Chester woulc
come up with a fresh contingent. 1t was
war of determination, that was certain
Then came the explanation. An enterpris
ing tackle maker in West Chester hat
offered handsome rod with silver PLATED
fittings for the best bass from the Brandy
wine waters in Chester County and all hope
were centred on beating the record of tn
fiye-pounder scaled few days previously.
hereabouts run much larger than those 0
the lower Brandywine. Few of them weigl
less than pound, and two-pounders ar
quite common. The tackle and bats are il
proportion. Worms, shrimps and minnow
are despsed. A glance into the bait cans o
the anglers seems to show that the bass 0
Chester county have the nav of an alligato
- al, T.
sample of the tit-bits on which the Cheste
county fisherman relies to tempt the gam
bass. First craw-fish Cor 'crab" as
terms it), between two and three inche
long, with horrid claws like lobster, and a
hard and stony as the brook bottom in whic
it turks. Secondly kindred abominatior
the epitome of all ugliness digntied wit
the fitting appellation of a ''helgramite.
This natural monstrosity has really d
bolical appearance, and, when attached
the hook by thread, wriggles about vi
iously and seeks to bury its claws in tt
thumb and fore-fuger of the experiments
1t has as many legs as centipede and
addition six larger supports, beetle-fashio
in short it is impossible to look at it witho
bhihkluS loIclply VI lue hrsJ syllduLe Oh !
name. Thirdly the bait cans contain sund
catfish from three to six inches long-thin,
which are studiously avoided by the bass
other streams, and which yield in ugliness
the ''helgramite" alone. How we marvel
see so beautiful and tOothsome a fish as Il
bass displaying such depraved dietetic taste
spepsial-why the sight of these thr
denominations would be enough to turn Il
stomach of an average shark.