Daily Yellowstone journal., 1885-06-26
WITH HOOK AND LINE,
THE GEORGIA PHILOSOPHER FOL-
LOWS GOOD OLD IsAAK WALTON.
He Thinks Fishing u Business Both
scripturai aud Apostolic-some Points
FOR the Amateur Angler-Ag-
grAvating Mishap.
BIN 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. contemplating
work or play, or whatever you may call
It. 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 thought
1 would make up for lost time. Fay after
day have been throwing bait 10 the hnny
tribe. but the weather has been cold and
the wind all wrong and have had awful
poor luck But nevertheless ! like fish
ing. Even II they do nibble and HiJble
until they get all my bait
wonder what makes Us humans love
TO catch things and kill things that are
trying 10 dodge us. Nobody wants TO
shoot a chicken in tie yard but lac will
hunt all day a. kill few birds, or luir.
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 If dominion Ii the lish
or the squirrels would come at our
call and surrender, We would turn them
loose and say, go, gentle creature, will
not harm you. The scriptures say. Il will
give you dominion over the fish OF the
sea, and the fowls of the air and the
beasts Of the field. and when the fish and
the fowls aud the beasts say catch me if
you can. We 60 at it, But af err all it
looks rather small in grown.up man or
a philosopher, or preacher, TO sit on a
log half day trying 10 outgeneral few
little innocent perch and drown them in
the air. and all for sport-most all; we
wouldn't give more than 25 cents for the
average lot
But like fishing, nevertheless, and the
business is both scriptural and apostolic.
IL 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 i 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 q south wind makes fish
hungry and eager for bait
some men are fishermen by nature and
instinct Some wander up and down all
day and change their base every ten
minutes. and some will sit in the same
spot all day long. knew famous fish.
erman in Rome a long time ago who
would wager dollar that he could catch
a cat. or a trout. or a sucker, or Dream
at will He would let you name the kind
and then he would catch that kind on the
first trial He knew their haunts aud
holes and habits, and what bait they
loved, and knew how TO fish for them. /
cant 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 a long suffering fisherman acct
dentally and Unexpectedly finds a big
trout has actually grabbed his hook aud
shows fight and darts around and pitches
and cavOTts, 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 aud
up and out, and just at the ineXpressible
moment Of success and triumph he gives
hirt and falls back Oh, what fall
was that, my countrymen. What gone
ness, what helplcssnes. what crushing,
subdueing feelings come over man. lie
couldn't smile ii he was going to be hang
If he didn't II is worse than TO have q
cow die. or to he left By the train. have
experienced that. aud gone home as hum.
bic as wet dog. Ii 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 10 concert pitch.