San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-08-19
HOW WOMEN GO A FISHING.

Some Consent to Put on Live Bait, Al
though Most of Them Prefer the Fly.
Certainly there are lots of women who go
a fishing" said one of the oldest members Of
the South Side club, who is equally expert as
a salt water and fresh water fisherman. "lf
the ma jority of women knew of the fun and
the benefit to their health that going fishing
would bring there would be something like a
fashionable epidemic for angling. 1t would
seem that most women if asked what they
think of fishing as an enjoyable pursuit would
in reply assume about the same attitude that
most women do toward exercising the elective
franchise In the first place they don't know
anything about it eXperimentally, and in the
next place men have assumed fishing as among
their manly prerogatives, and most women
would on that account consider the practice
of the gentle art unfeminine. Label a pur-
suit 'unfemnine,' and it is a boycott or it to
the feminine mind.
"But it is Just because it is a gentle art"
said the old angler, lighting a fresh cigar,
that women ought to enjoy it, Women
ride after the hounds at fox hunt, and they
are more and more entering into the enjoy
ment of mems sports, and competing with
them in business. Let the dear creatures
fish. 1t fills their lungs with fresh air. deep
ems their narrow chests, cures weak nerves,
aids digestion and gives them plenty Of exer.
else This is true, both in fresh and salt
water fishing With the increasing atten
ton paid by women to physical and muscu
lar development, there ought to be room
made by men for the women to join them in
their active sports, so that their rudy cheeks
he ha
Amazonan requirements are not to be used
why acquire them in gymnasiums!
YES, there are objections that arise at
once to fishing becoming general among wo
men," continued the angler. lone objection
is that women will not handle live bait or
have anything to do with it. The reply to
that objection is that women who fish usually
fish with the fly, or if they fish in salt water
fisherman friend puts on the live bait, and
when a big fish is hooked he pulls it in. An
other objection to a wOman's fishing is that
the sun will burn her skin and spoil her com
plexion, to say nothing of the smart it causes
her In answer to that objection can point
you to my wife's experience 1t is her custom
to begin the season by remaining on the water
for half an hour at first, and increasing the
length of time until the skin is toughened by
exposure. Before the end of May she can re-
main on the water all day. She prefers when
fishing in the Great South bay with live bait
to put on the bait herself, wearing a strong
pair of gloves to prevent soiling her hands
As regards salt water fishing, however, wo
men will probably not care SO much for it as
for fresh water fishing, and will go bobbing
on the waves of Princes bay or Jamaica bay
mainly to accompany their fishermen friends
and partake in their pursuits for social rea
sols.
In fresh water fishing women are often
adopts" the old stager continued. There
are many women who can cast fly as deity
as a man, and good deal more gracefully
1t isn't necessary to say that women cannot
wade brooks or go on long tramps up and
down a trout brook. They fish from row
boats on a river or lake, and l have seen
women who were reared in luxury in this
town play trout ia the Adirondacks with
all the skill and enjoyment of a professional
1t is simply delightful to see in what charm
ing and unconscious attitudes of grace sup
pile young woman can throw herself as she
holds a delicate rod now on this side and now
aloft as she follows the path taken by the
funny prey.
1T would not have been possible for most
women, until recently, to hook fish of any
size and bring him to the landing net, owing
to the heavy tackle that used to be manufac-
tured for men. Tackle for men is made lighter
and lighter, and now tackle is made for
women.
II saw rod the other day, made by ia
nous rod maker for a woman of this town,
who is now in the Adirondacks. 1t is of split
bamboo, nine feet long and weighs exactly
five ounces. The grip is of cork, which is
easier to grasp than the smooth cane, or wood
or rubber, and easier to hold tightly in one
hand. 1t is fitted with Qrvis' patent reel
seat, which consists Of heavy seated spring
under fixed rings, and by an ingenious ar
rangement may be made to receive a reel
with either short or long seat. With weapon
like this, by turn of lady's slender wrist n
two pound trout could quickly be made to
feel that he had met mistress New YORK
Sun.
III.