The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-08-05
CATCHING A SALMON.


With Tom, the presiding genius, i'll
the stern, the angler in the middle. and
Peter in the bow. the canoe is anchored
at the head of salmon pool" The
water is from three to six feet deep,
clear as crystal, and flowing at the rate
of perhaps three miles an hour over a
clean stony and gravelly bottom. On
the right, as the angler faces down
stream, the bank is perhaps hundred
feet distant, while on the other side an
unbroken expanse of more or less rapid
and in places deeper water extends to
an island about a quarter of a mile dis
tant A heavy rapid, with waves about
two feet high, terminates the pool
below, while above, the water differs
but little from that of the 'pool" itself,
Again and again has the canoe been
dropped down with the current to af-
ford the angler fresh field upon which
he may display his fly, but without re-
suit. At last, "when he least expects it
most" the water boils in the neighbor-
hood of his ''Silver Doctor" his heart
gives bound, and then seems to stop
its action, for the fly is untouched. kOr
a few seconds he moves the fly in the
subsiding swirl, hoping the fish may
turn and take it, but hoping in vain.
The line is then drawn through the
rings-not reeled in-the slack falling
on the bottom of the canoe until the tly
is regained.
IA fine fish," says Tom, with a dis
appointed air, "a fine fish altogether
altogether fine fish," for repetition is
an Indians idea of rhetorical emphasis.
an I, ,H,lo h L.
little fly, p'r'aps we get him anyhow"
Out comes the watch, and five min
utes, each seemingly of abnormal
length, are allowed to elapse. Then the
angler begins again, cast following cast
over barren water, until the slack line
is all out and the exact range of the
rise is again in hand. Then follows u
cast about twenty feet to one side of the
appointed spot and smaller ..Silver
Doctor" careers in the most appetizing
manner across the pool, passing in its
orbit>over the place where the rise oc-
cured.
The fly sweeps over him, he rolls, he
seizes it, and bears it downward with
him. A few yards of line draw slowly
from the reel, to the free action of
which no impediment is offered. The
rod is raised 10 meet the demonstration
that we know, though he seems SO in
different now, will not be long post
poned. The anchor is at once lifted,
and the canoe is brought in close against
the bank.
All is suspense-what he is about to
do; for SO far he has acted as though
the fly had been quite forgotten. The
inexperienced may wonder at his ap-
parent apathy, but he who has been
there before feels as though the heavens
were about to fall, and waits for them
to come. 1t comes; slowly the reel
speaks; faster-faster; the handle be-
coraes but blur of light, and the voice
of the click rises to scream. The line
melts away from the reel like salt in
water, and the coil that was nearly four
inches in diameter is now three-two-
one-will he never stOpP go for him,
Tom, go for him, or the beggar will
break u.s." and the canoe starts IN pur-
suit with all the speed two powerful
paddles can impart.
When scarcely ten yards of line out
of the 120 remain in reserve, away across
the river fragment of silver apparent
" about a foot long scars into the air,
splash. The line ceases to be with
drawn, and, taking immediate advant-
age of the possibility, it is recovered as
rapidly as the handle of the reel can be
manipulated, yet with every precaution
that each turn is distributed evenly and
solidly on the spool. For this is but the
overture of the opera, so TO speak. and
again and again will the line be snatch
ed from us until almost the bare axle of
the reel appears.
Thus twO-thirds of the line are re-
covered. and the angler breathcs again,
supporting his rod, doubled up under
all the strain he dares impart, with the
butt against his body.
Again the fish starts-this time up
stream-the reel shrieking as it parts
with the line. Wild is the anglers joy,
30 be succeeded by doubt, and then by
anxiety, us the quantity of line in re-
serve grows less and less, and the fish
seems to have no idea of stopping.
Again the canoe is forced to follow, and
again the fish concludes his run by
bounding into the air once-twice-
thrice.
Again the line is recovered, all but
about thirty yards. when away he starts
across the river again, if possible more
rabid than ever, finishing with another
jump or two. The line is then recover
ed almost altogether, never emitting,
no matter how hurriedly the act may be
performed. so to distribute it upon the
spool that it will be free to render again
without the slightest hitch.
Then Tom says, 1--WE will have to
take him through the rapids-no land
ine-place here"
That the fish will take US up on some
of the neighboring hills seems fully AS
probable, but the effort must be made.
The canoe is run into an eddy, then
showed into the quick water, and down
we go, bounding like a cork over the
waves at the mercy of the fierce current
The fish follows quietly, as though he
liked it; but no, he has changed his
mind; he dashes down stream and
obliquely across it with the speed of d
race-horse, Mt least it seems so, for the
whizzing line tends in that direction.
But what is that? Away up above us
and half across the river a salmon bolts
| into the air. Ibid you see that, Tom!
Wen go for that fellow when we finish
with this one" How Tom laughs-and
| it is not without protracted effort that
he finally forces us to believe that thai
/ was the fish we are fast to. 1t is so very
| far off. and in so different 4 direction
from that indicated by the bending roc
and the running line, that it seem;
impossible that it can be SO, though Sc
| it is.
So the canoe drops down with the
swift current, halting at times as the
fish becomes very obstreperous, anC
then resuming its course And the sal
mon follows, sometimes freely. some
times reluctantly, and sometimes ii
absolute rebellion. compelling us to le
| him have his own Way for a time.