The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-10-06
WITH HOOK AND LINE,
THE GEORGIA PHILOSOPHER FOL-
LOWS GOOD OLD ISAAK WALTON.
he Thinks Fishing a Business Both
sGriptura1 and Apostolic-sOme Points
for the Amateur AngIer-Ag-
gravating DIishap.
[Bm az in Atlantic Constitution. ]

bill Arp in Atlantic Constitution
For few days past have been going
fishing. The creek is close by. and the
fish are spelling for the frying pan, and
and fishing is such quiet, contemplative
work or play, or whatever you may call
1t. 1t is the only occupation / know Of
that is common to white folks and mig
gers, to gentlemen and vagabonds. They
are all equal on the banks of the creek or
around the mill pond, and the fish are no
respectors of persons. have not enjoyed
my usual spring fishing, and so l thought
l would make up for lost time. Day after
day / have been throwing bait TO the finny
tribe but the weather has been cold and
the wind all wrong and have had awful
poor luck But nevertheless l like fish
ing. Even if they do nibble and nibble
until they get all my bait
/ wonder what makes us humans love
to catch things and kill things that are
trying to dodge us. Nobody wants to
shoot a chicken in the yard, but he will
hunt all day to kill few birds, or squir-
REL or catch rabbit. We will wear out
dollars worth of clothes while hunting
for dimes worth of game We take no
pleasure IN pursuing anything that Is
tame and submissive. but only banker
after that which is wild and trying to
escape. ! reckon it is nature, Just nature;
the love of dominion If the fish
or the squirrels would come at our
call and surrender, we would turn them
loose and say, "gO, gentle creature, l will
not harm you. The scriptures say, Il will
give you dominion over the fish of the
sea, and tle fowls of the air and the
beasts of the field, and when the fish and
the fowls and the beasts say catch me il
you can, we go at il. But af er all it
looks rather small in a grown-up man or
3 philosopher, or a preacher, to sit on
log half q day trying to outgeneral few
little innocent perch and drown them in
the air. and all for sport-most all we
wouldn't give more than 20 cents for the
average lot
But like fishing, nevertheless, and the
business is both scriptural and apostolic.
It Is the opinion at my house. however.
that / am poor fisherman and that it
does not pay, and that some other things
are more important just now. So l. shall
quit for time, that is, until the water
gets warm and the sweet south wind
comes breathing upon the violet banks.
never did know what fish had to do with
the wind, but Izaak Walton has settled
that question They will not bite when
the north wind blows 1t will change
their appetite in night Neither will
they bite in the light of the moon like
they will when the nights are dark A
dark moon and south wind makes fish
hungry and eager for bait
Some men are fishermen by nature and
day and change their base every ten
minutes, ana some will sit in the same
spot ell day long. l knew famous fish.
erman Ia Rome a long time ago who
would wager dollar that he could catch
cae, or q trout, or q sucker, or Dream
at viii He would let you name the kind
and then he would catch that kind on the
nrst trial He knew their haunts and
holes and habits, and what bait they
loved, and knew how to fish for them.
can't do that. have watched something
nibbling at my hook for half dozen
times and at last pulled up little dirty
mud turtle.
That is disgusting and aggravating, but
when o long suffering fisherman acct
dentally and unexpectedly finds big
trout has actually grabbed his hook and
shows fight and darts around and pitches
and cavorts, and lashes the water,
and bends your pole almost double and
you brace yourself for the great occasion
with hope in your eye and your heart in
your mouth and begin to draw him in and
mp and out, and Just at the inexpressible
moment of success and triumph he gives
q firt and falls back Oh, what fall
was that, my countrymen. What gone
ness, what helplessnes, what crushing,
gubdueing feelings come over man he
couldn't smile if he was going to be hung
If he didn't 1t is worse than to have a
cow die, or to be left by the train. have
experienced that, and gone home as hum
BILE as a wet dog 1t is $40 grief over
the loss of half dollar fish. But such Is
life. Little things affect US more than
big ones when we have our hopes and our
expectations wrought up to concert pitch.