The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-07-31
FISHING IS GREAT FUN.
But 1t Would Puzzle a Great Many TO
Tell Why They
Fish.
Sympathetic Women Think It
Cruel Sport, but They Eat
the Fish.
Some Noted Men Who Gan Cast u Fly In
Fine Style-Isullheads Inspire
serm0ns

"Why do VIA fish?" is q question often
asked by friends of tho anglers, and often
the person Of whom 1t is asked ia puzzled to
make a reasonable answer. or course, the
pleasures of getting out on the river or
rambling through the forest and among tho
wild hills are mentioned. and the angler
will dwell upon the healthfulness OF the
recreation, and will not hesitate to say that
his love of nature is the secret that sands
him forth in search of the willy trout or
vigorous black bass. To breathe the fresh
air of the hills and to wander among the
forests of the rugged mountains. through
which invariably the tout rivers make
their way, is undoubtedly no small factor
In calling out the angler, but it annot be
denied by any thoughtful and truth-telling
fisherman that there is something in play
ing q lively fish upon the end of a plant
whip-like-rod that would lead him to the
trout stream whether nature had blessed its
surroundings or not, says the New York
Times.
To sympathetic women the idea of the
quivering fish when brought to gaff is one
of cruelty. They do not believe the state
ment that the fish suffers nothing. and that
Al0 lively uCLlOuS dTo uuG SIMPLY 10 Gle
larger quantity of oxygen that he gets in
the open air. They say that the sport is
cruel, but they do not mind eating the
fruits of the alleged cruelty, ana nowadays
are becoming quite rsconciled to the fun Of
fishing. SO that they deign to handle n rod
themselves, and are becoming 30 expert in
this management Of fish that tho men SIX
pert in the art will have to look we'll to save
their laurels.
There is undoubtedly a certain charm
about angling that cannot we'll be expressed
in words, and at all events the love Of fish
ing grows rapidly upon the novice. Once
having started out on the road TO piscatorial
conquest, the fisherman rarely turns back.
and the deeper the woods are penetrated
and the larger the trout and baus, the more
anxious is the angler to get after them. .
Representatives of professional and bust
ness life who have made an hcnoi able leg
ord in their callings are numbered by
scores on the list OF those who love to fish
shooting not long ago, and that ia near to
fishing, but he also knows how to WELD the
rod and is fond of reeling in q big fish.
Ex-President Cleveland is a well-known
advocate of the angler'a rec.eation, and has
acquired u rare skill in managing a fine
salmon OR lake trout. Ex- Precedent thur
used TO visit the Restigouchc almost every
season in search of the noble salmon, the
king of the trout family. Statesmen at
Washington are most lnvcterate anglers.
Senator Frye, of Maine, has u camp in the
Rangeley Lake region. and is a very sue
cessful fly caster. Senator Edmunds every
spring LAS Mis- flies, rods and reels over
hauled and put i'll trim for his first chance
at the trout ana salmon. Qusy rarely
misses a trip to Flo ida to have a bout with
1hA f9Tnnp S0s,rau nf n yr,rauc,rny, wv
deny tue charm of angling md love to hold
the rod. Robert T.. Lincoln, our minister
to England. is very, fond of scientific ang-
ling and has made tips to the western re-.
sorts OF plscatorial note.
Lawyers. As e rule, arc pretty sharp an
glers. The fruits Of their spot are seen in
tbs decorations of their Offices. Even
tackle il often seen Il ound their dens with
Musty papers ard documents. When Elihu
lioot We United States district attorney
for the southern district of New York, he
was discovered orc afternoon, after T. hard
days wo k i'll con t with aconpiiclted case,
trying n new ive-ounce rod IN his Office,
and apparently deriving gr ut satisfaction
thereIronl. The appearance of Judge Wal-
lace, OF the United states CT cult cou t, on
a trout stream ia edifyiug to ,lose who hive
seen him i'll a cuitn. dig4ifed manner sit
ting On the bench AID t.llowina the tram
or reasoning OF q lHwstr wrestling with the
,ntrlcacies OF u com licated patent case.
Judge MARITIME OF the court of general ses-
sions belongs to that famous organization
OF local fishermen known AS tho Wa-Wa-
wanda club, 80 docs ex-DiSir.et Attorney
Fellows, Controller Mye y, Chamberlain
Grain, and many Others who hold places
IN the city government. Manor Grant has
a pench"nt for duck shooting, but he is
also TO be enumerated among tho
Sehernen. E1-Judge lien y A.. Gill
uersleeve ia as good an anglst as he is n
rifle shot, and has had much experience on
lake and river. He is president of the PAT
aalss club, 4 company of gentlemen WHO
nave secured some line fishing waters in
Canada.
Clernymen are most enthusiastic follow
efs OF lzaak Walton, and include some of the
most sklllfnl fly casters. Old DIR. Eetllune
was n noted angler, and wrote some beauti-
full thoughts that were suggested to him
while engaged in his 10, ite recreation,
Indeed, there seems to lie a ce.tain adaptg-
tlon to theoloRicat reasoning in the noun
tain st cams and tho fo.est scenes, while
the flow of thought does not appear to he
impaired in the slightest by tho presence of
a big trout.
An Old clergyman in South Jersey WAS
accustomed every Monday morning to be-
take himself to a catfish pond. the only
angling resort of the section, and never
failed TO bring back the skeleton of his nv1t
Sunday's discourse. ~ we'll as Il mess of
bullheRis. What incentive to deep thought
could be g.ined from s ttino on nstump and
lulling out the ugly snd splritless fish in x
legion fiat as a desert and from water mud
dy MS the Misgisrll pi cannot be imagined,
but his pensioners youch for the tact that
the sermons III the fishing season were the
best the good dominic preached.
OF the preachers in this city the Roy. DIR
Psxion is Il srccessful angler and expert
with the rod and fly. The Rev. Drs. G .eer
of st. Bartholomew. j. Parker Morgan,
Il. j. lncersoll, and Van Dyke also love to
fsh. Dean Woodbridge, of the theological
seminary in New Brunswick, and IL host OF
Others near and in the city look forward
with pleasure 10 their spring outing on the
river.
In every profession and every department.
of business life tho anglers have n large
representation. MIR. Roberts, president OF
the Pennsylvania railroad system. has
caught nanv n bass, trout and salmon,
while Austin Co bin has Il little corner on
trout in 4 preserve on Long Island. where
he finds much delight. George NJ. Pullman
10 acquainted with all the principal rsso is
of the west, and-Dr. William Seward Webb
10 mn eastern angler. George and Edwin
Gould know how to allure the handsome
trout. Geo. M. Broadway. of tho Gilsey house,
and proprietor Breslin are fond of angling
for bass. A. l.. Ashman. of the Sinclair
house, huntS after the big bluefshL. while |