Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-11-01
ANGLERS GUIDES.
Indians Are Said to Excel the White Man
on salmon Rivers.

Indians Are Said to Excel the White Man
on salmon Rivera
Some are stu bid, some are lazy, some are
wilful, and soms are = full Of conceit as to
render them unt earable Others are oblig-
ing, industrious and thoroughly posted In
every department OF their craft. They are
expert anglers, food cooks, perfect masters Of
paddle or oar, and thoroughly acquainted
with every rod Of forest and every foot Of
water within tho territory where they under
take to pilot their patrons. When one IL
fortunate enoug TO secure such guides he Is
sure to have tie best sport and the highest
pleasure attain BILE. A carry Of q mile or
two doesn't dete- them from revealing what
may be hoped for by making it. Because
the current is st q or the rapids formidable
they don't try IL evade their ascent by lying
about them Nor do they wait to be forced
TO gather fresh boughs and plenty of them To
make your coucl soft and fragrant. When
the evenings ART chilly and a roaring fire is
necessary for warmth and comfort, they
don't want to b. reminded OF the fact With
such guides your tent Is always tidy, your
Harder Is always protected, aud your cooking
utensils and tn plate are always clean.
They can fry trout or broil a salmon to
perfection; Their baked pork and tsans would
satisfy the most exacting denizen Of the hub;
their pancakes ire always light and artistic
ally Drowned; their coffee is never spoiled by
overlooking, and they are never so happy as
when assured tlat they are rendering salts
factory and acceptable service,
While good guides are 10 be coveted on all
waters, they sre Indispensable on salmon riv-
ers, where the canoes are light, the currents
heavy and the rapids formidable. AS rule,
Indians are the most expert and safest canoe
men, whether handling a paddle or pole.
i have frequen ly had one Indian and one
white man In my canoe but the Indian was
always given precedence, not by my wish
alone. but with the assent and concurrence
of his white colhborer as well. They are not
only more expert but more cautious than
white men, and on the toughest waters / soon
learned that il was always safe to 20 wher-
ever my Indian pilot was willing TO take me,
only once deemed him too timid and or
dered him to PUSH straight through a rapid
around which he wished to carry.
He obeyed, With no other protest than
cultural Ugh Get wetr And so We did.
for it was nip and tuck" whether We went
over the rapids or went under them | never
afterward asked him to take me " here he was
not willing to 60.
But handling a canoe is not the most diff
cut oillce Oh ulue on salmon waters. There
are ten good canoe men where there is one
good gaffer. TO looker-on it seems easy
enough to gaff "A twenty or thirty pound fish,
but 10 do so from a canoe, in swift water and
while the fish is in full life and constant mo
ton, or even when drawn near the shore, is
about as difficult a piece Of work as Is CON
nected with the art. A miss is as Notifying
10 the gaffer as 1t is provoking to the angler
But misses are common and often fatal In
such cases, if he angler has any swear
words in his vocabulary they are pretty sure
10 be ventilated
had killed a great many salmon before
ventured TO gaif one, and while was about
It / wished ha int undertaken the job. Such
scooting and dodging, such dashing and hop-
ping, such strikl ing and missing was never be-
fore seen in salmon waters But succeeded
thanks, not TO my own skill, but to the sanity
patience and m lrvelous msnipulations Of the
judge who hooked the fish
While few guides are perfect In every phase
Of service, one IS seldom met with who cannot
be made useful II he is only willing the rest
will follow. With a willing guide all thing,
are possible, II ais employer is endowed with
the essential gifts Of patience and good TEN
per-Forest and Stream