Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-07-12
WITH HOOK AND LINE,
THE GEORGIA PHILOSOPHER FOL-
LOWS GOOD OLD ISAAK WALTON.
He Thinks Fishing Business Both
ScripturaI and APostOIio-some Points
for the Amateur AngIer-Ag-
grsvating Mishap.


bhl arp III Nildull' ''.ii~liNil'l|
For few days past | have been going
fishing The creek is close By and the
fish are spelling for the fr. ing pan aud
and fishing is such quiet, Contcmp platIve
work OF 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 aud vagabonds They
are all equal on the banks Of the creek or
around the mill poud. and the tlsh are no
respeCtors Of persons have not enjoyed
my usual spring tshing, and 80 | thought
would make up for lost tine. lay after
day have been throwing bait to tie tinny
tribe but the weather has been cold and
the wind all wrong and have had awful
poor luck. But nevertheless ! like fish
ing Even if they do nIbble and uIbble
until 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 a chicken in the yard. but he will
hunt al. day t. kill a few birds or ; Iuir-
rel, or catch a rabbit We will wea~ out
a dollar worth of clothes while hunting
for dimes worth of game. We take no
pleasure in pursu ng 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 hsh
Or the squirrels would come at our
call and surrender, we would tu~I them
loose and say. 20 gentle creature. | will
not HARM YOU The riptures say. Il Will
give YOU dumIm,On 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 and the beasts say catch me If
you can, We go at it. But af er all it
looks rather small in a grOwn-up man or
A philosopher or preacher to sit on
log half day trying 10 OutgenerGl few
little innocent perch and drown them in
the air. and all for spOrt-most all. we
wouldn't give more than p cents for the
average lot
But like fishing, nevertheless and the
business is both scriptural and apostolic.
1t 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 shall
quit for a 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 ILaak Walton has settled
that question They will not bite when
the north wind blows. 1t will change
their appetite in a night Neither will
they bite in the light of the moon like
they will when the nights are dark. \
dark moon an a south wind makes fish
hungry and eager for bali
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 a famous tsh.
ermau in Rome a long time ago who
would wager dollar that he could catch
a cat or 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 and
holes and habits. and what bait they
loved. and knew how 10 fish for them.
cant do that have watched something
nibbling at my hook for half do en-
times and at last pulled up little dirty
mud turtle.
That is disgusting and aggravating. but
when long suffering fisherman acci
dentslly and Unexpectedly finds a 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
up and out, and Just at the ineNpresSible
moment of success and triumph he gives
a tiirt and falls back. Oh, what a fall
was that, my countrymen What gone
ness. what helpleSsnes. what crushing,
subdueing feelings come over man. lie
couldn't smile if he was going to be hung
if he didn't Ii is worse than 10 have u
COW die. or to be left b, the train. have
experienced that. and gone home as hum
bic 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.