Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1890-09-27
A CAMP FIRE FISH STORY.

west OF the mouth or PlSeon River. Ev-
cry evening three of my friends and
sat around the fire to smoke after supper
pipes When the pipes were glowing
the incidents of the days hunting were
lovingly dwelt upon, and hunting and
fishing stories were told. One night,
when had returned to camp from the
dark clear waters of Lake Superior with
alleged 1 would catch, one of my COM
ra les, whose hair was white and whose
form was slightly bent with age, looked
through keen black eyes at me, and then
looked beyond me at the past, and he
smiled pleasantly at scenes which he
cosjured up.
Frank" he said, you can handle
double barrelled shotgun fairly well for
one of your age, and you can catch black
bass and brook trout when they are hun
cry. But you do not possess knowledge
of lake trout, nor do you know how to
catch them. I'll tell you story, and
then hope that you will realize that to
catch lake trout requires intelligence as
we'll as bait, and he added, rather saw
ngely for 80 aged and usually good nat
ured sportsman, land, my boy, bull
head luck don't count in lake trout fish
ing"
He said: "When was young man
Che is over 10Y spent a season in pros
pecting for copper mines on the south
shore of Lake Superior. With Inc was a
middle aged Indian who had spent his
life in hunting and fishing and loafng in
the forests and on the waters of the lake
region. He knew the wilderness thor
oughly. He knew where the deer and
moose lived. He knew in which lake
the wild waterfowl could be found, and
he knew where trout. pickerel, and black
bass lurked in dark cold water. He pos
sessed all desirable knowledge relative to
the region. One night when we sat by
the camp fire the Indian was in talk
alive confidential mood. He said: In
that lake, indicating Lake Superior with
a backward toss of his head, are very
large trout. About three miles from
here there is a reef in the lake where the
water is not over so feet deep. The trout
gather on this reef in large numbers.
They are always there, but they will not
take the hook excepting in certain sea-
sons. If you could catch one of these
fish you would never again eat pick
erel.' Then he told of catching trout on
this reef that were from 3 to feet long
and that must have weighed from 20 to
80 pounds Of course l wanted to catch
and eat one of these fish. The next day
he padded me to the reef. l fished for
hours, but caught nothing. That night
I thought out plan. The next morning
sent to the settlements for supplies, and
in the list of articles needed was a fish
globe, and l wrote to my agent to be
sure to send me the globe In due time
the globe arrived. l filled it with water,
caught a few minnows, and put them in
it. Then 1 tied piece of cloth over its
neck, first pulling out one half the
threads, so that water could flow in and
out. tied short rope to the shank of
the globe, and heavy fish line around
its neck. To the loose end of the short
rope tied heavy stone for an anchor.
put short dry log in the canoe, and
was ready to set my bait. The Indian
watched my preparations with silent
scorn. Catch lake trout with glass
jar! The scheme was too absurd to be
worthy of warriors consideration. The
savage had had low opinion of me be-
fore. But now had lost all caste. He
reluctantly padded me and my childish
traps to the reef He grunted, pig like,
when l spoke to him. Words were not
to be wasted on such as l. Arrived over
the reef carefully lowered the stone
anchor and the minnow charged jar,
where the stone struck bottom, and
pulled the line taut and tied it to she
little log which had thrown overheard,
and which was sufficiently buoyant to
support the globe that was suspended in
the water about feet from the bottom.
believed that the lake trout would see
the minnows, that they would try to
catch them, that their repeated failures
would make them ravenous, that they
would actually rub their noses against
the glass until they became sore, and
that, when / was ready to fish, they
would be keen to bite. 1 laughed when
had the bait fixed to my satisfaction,
and the Indian looked at me through
keen eyes, as though he thought had
finally gone crazy.
II did not visit the reef for two days.
Then said: Come, Henry, we will go
catch some trout l took my lines and
pail of minnows for bait, and babe the
Indian get the canoe ready. He reluc.
family obeyed. Arrived at the buoy, 1
baited hook and dropped the line. I
felt the sinker strike the bottom, and
then I felt a mighty tug on the line. The
Indian knew that l had hooked fish
just as quickly as l did, and he thrust
his paddle in the water and we followed
the fish SO as to get away from the buoy
line. Then pulled the fish in. No ar
tistic playing with an eight-ounce rod,
but just heavy hand over hand pulling.
That fish weighed 20 pounds. The In.
dams eyes blazed with excitement. He
struck his open mouth with open palm
to express his establishment and quickly
padded me to the buoy. Again uI"ppeu
the line. Again the lait was instantly
grabbed and the eager fish darte'l off.
We followed till beyond danger OF Ell
tanglement with the buoy line, when the
fish was pulled into the canoe. The
fish were as twins Two were sufficient
to supply my party with food and | re-
fused to catch more, much to the diSap-
pointment of the Indian, who wanted to
load the canoe. Every other day after
that the Indian-now most respectful in
his manner and specch-and l caught
from two to three trout They were the
best fish have ever eaten.
when left the region, not having
Il