The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-04-16
HIS BAD LUCK.
A Clergyman and His Son Who
Loved to Fish.

Loved TO FISH.
The activity of a wood-mouse that
ran up and down neighboring stump
was nothing compared with that of the
piscatorial clergyman as he hustled
about the camp. 1t was easy to see
that he was very busy, for big drops
of perspiration formed coronet
around his brow. He was in his element,
for nothing pleased him more than to
fuss and hurry around as though his life
depended upon his work. The object
of his solicitude lay on the dinner table
before him. 1t was an immense loon
that guide had brought down from
one of the little ponds that lie back OF
Lake Molechunkamunk, and the minis
ter was about to skin it. He glanced
at if frequently, and more than once he
stopped to stroke down the dull white
feathers on the breast
''lt's not every day one gets loon, ="
he said, as he threw the end of a troll
ing line, strong and thick, over the
Dough of a tree and fastened at the end a
big fish-hook that would have held a
twenty-pound dog-fish. The dominic
had been most DESTROYS of getting a
loon, and had himself worked hard with
his rifle out on the lake. For hours he
had chased them up and down, and
many shot he had sent after them,
but the looms had all Owed Just at the
right time and lodged the shot. The
loon that lay before him had become
disabled in one of the small ponds and
fallen an easy prey to the guide. The
looms are heavy birds and do not like
to get out of the water into the air any
more than is absolute necessary. There
fore, when chased, they prefer diving,
and then invariably come up at great
distance. No harder bird to shoot can
be found in the Northern waters. The
clergyman imbeded the fish-hook in one
of the legs of the bird and swung him
in the air. The boys gathered about at
respectful distances to watch the oper-
atoms of the preacher.
Il am going to take this fellows skin
disturbed by his observing companions.
Il shall have my son mount it, and then
it shall have place in my study to re-
mind me of the Maine lakes" and he be-
gan whetting a jack-knife on an oil-stone.
The jack-knife had to do duty in place of
a scalpcl. His eXertionS in rigging up
his apparatus had tired the minister,
and he sat down to take a bit of smoke
from briarwood pipe before going on
with his work.
$50 you have son2' said one of the
young men, who did not live near the
home. and who had first
made his acquaintance on the shore of
the lake.
YES" responded the minister, "Tve
got two. Yes; both fish. both hunt, and
both have caused me considerable trou-
BILE on account of their propensities for
lfe," and the clergyman
gave look that meant a good deal
more than he said.
Cant they beat you catching trout?"
the young man.
mo; oh, no. Not in a fair deal.
It's funny, though, but when we get
together we do not have much success.
or if one does the other does not. Both
have an Unsuitable desire, however, to
beat their father, and bring home
the most and the largest trout"
mo, they don't always do it; only
once in while, responded the clergy
man TO question. Il remember an
occasion. however, up on the edge of
the Adirondacks, when was clear laid
out by my eldest son, who had taken to
fronting just as naturally as a mink.
Even when in short dresses he used to
run away from home and go down to
the high bridge over the river near
where we lived. There he would sit on
the edge of the planking and watch the
men fishing for eels and suckers. 1t
was a wonder he did not fall off and
go down with the current, and l
can only account for it on the
ground that his guardian angel must
have kept a sharp eye on him. In fact,
the little scamp did fall into pond
when not much bigger. and had sense
enough to crawl along the bottom and
up the bank. He had hardly been
weaned when he ran fish-hook that l
had left around in his thumb, and it
took doctor to dig it out. Besides he
was born when the sign is in the heart.
and that is the time when the trout will
bite best There is certain day when
trout will always bite, and bite like
mad. At least, so old settlers have told
me, and fishermen whose veracity have
never been challenged. Well. as he
seemed to take so naturally to water
and articles used by fishermen, l made
him light rod and we started out to
try it. There was a nice little brook
not far away that wound its course
through a meadow to the big river be-
low, and started from some cold springs
in patch of woods above. There had
Just been heavy rain, and You know
no time is SO good for brook fishing as
after a heavy rain, Just when the water
is on the fall. The fish run up the
brooks after rains to get the fresh bait
that is brought down. 1t was summer,
and we used grasshoppers for bait; no
better can be found
allowed him at first to catch the
while found out if the
trout were IN the stream; but that ar
rangement did not last long. and soon
was down on my knees after the
and he was working the
stream with the rod. In fishing a |
brook banked with sod you mast not
too near the edge of the
stream, or you will jar the bank and
startle the trout beneath. So l showed
him a big pool and how to approach il