Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-08-08
WITH HOOK AND LINE.
The Amiabl Georgia Philosopher Follows
Good Old I2aak Walton.


For lew days past | have been going
fishing. The creek i close by and the fish
are spelling Tor the frying pan, and fishing
i such quiet cOntemplatlve work or play,
or whatever YOU may cullit. 1t Is the only
occupation | know of that Is common 10
white folks and uiggerS, 10 gentlemen and
yagabondS. They are all equal on the
hunks of the creek or around the mill pond,
and th,. fish are mo- re$peCtOrS OF persons.
had not cniovcd my usual spring fishing,
and - | thought ! would make up tor lost
time. Dav after day have been throwing
halt 10 the hnnv tribe. but the weather has
been cold and the wind all wrong and
have had awful poor luck. But neYerthe-
less | like fishing, even II they do nibble
and nibblc till they get all my bait.
wonder what makes Us humans love 10
catch things and kill things that are trying
to dodge us. Nobody wants To shoot 4
chicken in the yard, hut he will hunt all
day to Kill few birds or a squirrel or
a rabbit. We will wear out dollar )
worth of clothes while hunting tOradlme
worth OF game. We take no pleasure IN
pursuing anything that Is tame anu sun
miSsive. but only banker after that when
Is Wild and trying to escape. l reckoh IL
Is nature. lust nature; the love OtdomlnlOn
If the fish or the squirrels would come III
our call. and surrender, we wOulh turn
them loose and say, Go gentle creatures,
| will nat harm YOU" The Scriptures say,
II will rive YOU dominion over the FISH oil
the sen. and the fowls of the air and the
beasts of the field. " and when the fish anu
the fowls and the beasts say catch me II
Won can. we 90 at it, But, after all, II
looks rather small ina grOwn-up man, OF
philosopher or a preacher 10 SIT on 10Y
halliday trying to Outgeneral few lnno-
cent little perch and drown them IN the
air. and all for sport-moSt ALL we
wouldn't give more than twenty-five cents
for the average lot.
But | like fishing, nevertheless, and the
business il both Scriptural and apoStolic'
Ii is the opinion ut my house, however
that | am poor fisherman, and that II uOeS
NOT my. and that some other things are
more important Just now. 10 shall quit
fur a time. that is, until the water gets
warm and the sweet south wind comes
breathing upon the violet banks. l never
did know what fish had 10 do with the
wind. hut Izaak Walton has settled lhat
uurStion. They dOnOt bite when the north
wind blows. II will change their appetIte
in a night. Neither will they bite III the
LIGHT of the moon like they will when the
NIGHTS are dark. A dark moon and sonth
Wind make fish hungry and eager for bait
/ Some men are fisherman by nature anu
instinct. Some wander up ana GOWN .'Ii
day and change their base every ten MIN u,
utes. and some will sit in the same spot al
dav long, knew famous fisherman III
/ Rome long time ago who would wager q
dollar that nc could catch trout or cat
or a sucker or a Dream at will. lie would
Iet Won name the kind, and then he would
catch that kind on the first trial. lie kneN
their haunts and holes and habits, ana
what bait they loved, and knew how 10
fish for them. can't do that. L nave
watched something nibbling at my nook
/ for half dozen times and ut last pun up
a dirty little mud turtle.
This is disgusting and aggraystiag, but
when long suffering fisherman aeeluSht-
oIlv and unexpectedly finds big trout mas
actually grabbed his hook and shows hSht
and 6arts around, and pitches and cavortS,
and lasbes the water and bends your pole
almost double, and you brace yourself Tor
the great occasion withanXiety IN your eye
and your heart in your mouth, and Degin
to draw him in and Hp and out, ana just .,
the inexpressible moment Of success anu
triumph he gives firt and falls back-oa;,
What a fall was that, my eountrymeu
: What goneness, what helpleSsness, wha'
crushing, subduing feelings come over
man! He couldn't smile if'he was gong
to be hanged if he didn't.