The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-07-21
CATCHING A SALMON.
Three Men Quite Exhausted by a
Clancy Fish.

Three Men Quite Exhausted by a
Clancy" Fish.
With Tom, the presiding genius, in
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 fires down
stream, the bank is perhaps a hundred
{ feet distant, while OH the other side an
aunbroken expanse of more or less rapid
and in places deeper water extends to an
island about quarter of a mile distant.
A heavy rapid with waves about two
feet high, terminates the spool" below,
while above the water differs but little
from that of the "poor' itself.
Again and again has the canoe been
dropped down with the current to af-
ford the angler a 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. For
al few seconds he moves the fly in the
subsiding whirl, hoping the fish may
turn and take it, but hoping in vain.
The line is then drawn through the
rings reeled in-the slack falling
on the bottom of the canoe until the tly
is regained.
"a fine fish, says Tom, with a dis
appointed air, ga fine fish altogether,
altogether fine fish," for repetition is
an Indians idea of rhetorical emphasis.
.Now we rest HIM little bit-give him
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
cast about twenty feet to one side of the
appointed spot, and a smaller "Silver
Doctor careers in the most appetizing
manner across the pool, passing in its
orbit over the place where the rise &C.
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 impeachment is offered. The
: rod is raised to meet the demonstration
that we know-though he seems so in
different now-will not belong post
pened. 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 appar-
emit 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;
iaster-faster; the handle becomes but
burr 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 stop? go for him, Tom,
80 ior him, or the beggar will break
US, and the canoe starts in pursuit
win all the speed two powerful paddles
can impart.
When scarcely ten yards of line out of
Inc lZo remain in reserve, away across
he river a fragment of silver, appar-
!. entiy about a foot long scars into the
All, and falls back into the river with
splash. The line ceases to be with
araWn, and, taking immediate advan-
age OF the possibility, it is recovered as
rapidly as the handle of the reel can be
manipulated, yet with every precaution
!. lnat each turn is distributed evenly and
sohaly on the spool. For this is but the
overture OF the opera, SO to speak, and
asaln and again will the line be snatched
, no1n us until almost the bare axle of
.ae reel appears. Thus two-thirds of
me line are recovered, and the angler
Slcataes again, supporting his rod,
soooled up under all the strain he dares
Mpart, with the butt against his body.
b J. AGAIN the fish starts-this time up
s.;sS reel ,shrieking. as it parts
ml,h the line. Wild is.the anglers JOY,
:. " DC succeeded by doubt, and then BY
aAiety, as the quantity of line in re-
serve grows less and less, and the fish
11slas to have no idea of stopping.
nsaln the canoe is forced to follow, and
sam the fish concludes his run by
,goanding into the air once-twice-
h n,ice. Again the line is recovered, all
s ~. ABOUT thirty yards, when away he
ssal.s across the river again, if possible
.aple rapid that ever, finishing with an
esss jump or two. The line is recov-
rteo almost altogether, never emitting,
w matter how hurriedly the act may
~ performed, so to distribute it upon
se spool that it will be free to render
I'M a. without the slightest hitch.
men Tom says: ave will have to
it,; S,,e m nm through the rapids-no land
of tnat the fish will take us up on some
- MN .he neighboring hills seems fully as
Eooaole, but the effort must be made.
e4S canoe is run into an eddy. then