The morning news., 1891-05-29
THRA :HsD BY A BLACK BASS.
How Col Coryeu Baited himself and
Spat on Els Hook.
From the Neso York sun.

From the Nelo York sun.
HA1IMoNDsPoRT, May 23.-"I do not
claim to be much OF fisherman, /" said Col
Jim Coryell of Pultensy. a great hunter.
who has the head of the biggest moose ever
killed in this country hanging up in his
library, be having shot the moose in Kitsen
county, Minnesota, a few years ago. Fish
ing isn't exactly in my line, but do go OUT
on Lake Keuka once in awhile TO try my
luck, and had an experience with back
bass once that some people might think was
unique. 1t surprised me, l know. / mad
rowed out in front OF Pultensy landing and
dropped in my hook. / hadn't any luck, and
after fishing an hour or more made up my
! mind that there was something lacking, so
rowed up to Gibson's to see if / could find
out why the fish didn't lite. Jim Benson,
who says ne can tell the moment a salmon
trout touches his hook whether it is a male
or female, happened to be there. and know
ing that he knew all about fish l asked him
what he supposed was lacking that couldn't
catch any fish.
"'What you baitin' withr Jim asked me.
"'Worms. l replied.
withr
81 saw what he was driving at, and told
him that / hadn't bsited myself with any
thing.
"'That's what's lacking, then,' said jim,
and he told me to go into Gibson's tavern
and take back with me one-half pint or SO
| OF Gibson's bait. did so.
And don't forgit to spit on your hookp
shouted Jim as 1 rowed away.
II anchored my boat again, baited my
| hook, bsited myself, spat on my hook, aud
| threw in. The water was ciea- and / could
see down ten feet. My bait hadn't been in
the water long before | saw tremendous
To- has ffNkx I'D hat,
| he got to it he smelt of the bait, and could
see his eyes snap. l supposed, of course,
| that he would grab the hook in less than no
| time. But he didn't. He Just licked the
bait clear around and then moved away.
| he didn't make another motion
toward it, hut looked around fondly
at it, By and by l pulled up. The bait
was all right, and so l baited myself again
with Gibson'S bait, spat on the hook, and
! chucked it again. The bass went through
the same performance as he had before,
| and L could see MS eyes swapping more and
more. By the time | had repeated half a
| dozen times the instruction Jim Benton had
given me that big bass was tearing around
in the water like mad, and when he came
| up to the bait he came up kind o. zlg-zaggy
and unsteedy. Still l didn't get on to what
allied the big fellow. and was getting mad
because | couldn't catch HIM. AT last my
| bait from Gibsons was all gone. After
| that the bass got madder and madder. He
came clear to the top of the water and
stuck his head out and shook it fiercely at
me, and tell you he looked ugly At last
he steadied himself for a moment, and then
shot upward like flash. He came out of the
water and up in the air, and before l could
| get over my astonishment he whirled
around ard gave me whack alongside the
head with his tail that knocked me clear
over on one side of the boat For q few
seconds / was rtunned, and seeing the bass
coming up for me again l cut my anchor
rope and pulled for home as fast as | could.
The bass followed me clear to the landing
and tried to get at me again, but he didn't
seem to be able to steady himself enough to
do it. All that allied him was that he had
got crazy, fighting drunk, and when he
found that had shut his liquor off he got
back at me by pitching in for regular
rough and tumble fight. 1t was a narrow
escape for me, | tell you, and ever since
then L have been mighty careful what
baited myself with when fshed for bass
and spat on my hook"