The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-10-08
CATCHING BIG FISH.
LANDING A HUGE MUskELLUNGE
MUST BE RARE SPORT INDEED.

cupation of Some Hardy sportsmon.
A Vivid Description.
There are four of us in this pilgrimage
into the wilderness-Mr. +. n. Lewis. q
Main street merchant Of Louisville, and
his son, student of fair Harvard; Colonel
Weir, OF Owensboro, typical Kentuckina.
and the Georgia pilgrim. With wonder
full preparations for fish slaughter we have
penetrated to the farthest extreme. head
quartering at the Elliot. This is no Arlipy-
ton. The glimmer of a few white tents
bespeaks the presence of u party of camp
ers, and this is rs near the chair WARMING
feature as woods hostelry can boast of
The breath of the balsam woods fans tbo
tanned cheek, the same air that Bnyard
Taylor has described "as grateful to the
lungs as Falerian to the palate" The
clear. cold waters rush and swirl i'm tor
tuous channels ranging from bowlder lined
shore swallows to fifteen fathoms. AIerrily
they dash their green waves, striped with
Roiuen sun rays, upward to catch the blue
OF the cloudless ether. This is the home
and haunt of the buss and pckercl and
trout and the ma jestic and galny muskcl
lunge
McGuipin Is the guide. Brown of face
ana WITH CHEEKY smile he looks like u
Dattercake with IL dab of honey OH it.
FROM Elliots he leads us through the
spruce forest half mile over n velvcty
turi formed of the fallen spruce leaves, ms
sou us FcrsIan carpet, and we come out
OH the most lonesome expansc of water
ever saw. II is between great islands. but
the entrances OH either side are narrow
and winding
The trolls are out The silent oarsnan
Dends TO his work The quiet is deprcss-
ing. Not sound disturbs the eternal ST.
lence. f"en the oars dip without more
than ripple. Only two lines follow in
the wake of the boat. The colonel and the
stu"ent have gone away to themselves. too
far off to note their luck The moments
lenSthen oIt-;Eti then the line lengt hens
TOO What IS t!is? Have l caught Il hid.
den rockf Queer rock to lash tal like
thnt' In 1t comes. Juggling aud raging,
ana with open mouth threatening II mod.
crn edition of Jonah, To lie painting and
wrestling Ill ne boat--n lO-pountl pckercl.
With II line pulling out almost us fast rs
one ~ pulling i'll and the wat crs white with
contagious rage of Il fnny gladiator, there
could he no recollection of the DEPRESSING
heartburn ami provoking cough OH indi
EeStlon. To he fishing where there never
are mosquitoes or malaria or even black
lies and other insects contributes to the
sources OF universal charity and gcncros-
1ty. Even the hay fever patient snufTs ONLY
the battle with the trout
3nt to catch II muskellungc-a palpitat-
ing, throbbinS, gnmy aggregation of five
und-twenty pounds Of aqueous life-you
Brier creek men must wait for that before
you come to tell what luck You have had
On You swamp fishermen, gently throw
ont your line, and watch that no leaf or
hlypnd or stalk of bulrush entanglcs Its
intrusive green upon your glttering spoon
l)ld you feel gentle tug? Draw up-you
nave caught weed. Take it off and care
fully let your 100 feet of line out again.
Permit The line to lie along the fore.
finger. pressing the tips. Lounge not, sit
steadily. drawn up like tiger ready to
spring alert and 1.-the in an instant That
glitterin9, revolving spoon, spinning on it's
swivel, will be seen presently. Look out, is
your arm out of joint? Gather yourself
Never mind McGulpin's chuckle for he
will look out for oars; you look out for
yourself You have hitched u lightning
express train. and it is billed through
Haul in, keep taut; oh, for your life don't
slack the line. Blood on your finger? All
right, that will cool your fever n little; it
is only the line that has cut through into
the flesh.
Come in steady, jerk not. still come in
You can't? You must. Take good
breath. Never mind McGulpin he is pull
Ing toward shore. There he goes, that
hillock of foam means one fearful strike
for life. It must be tiger against TIGER
now. Let him tanglc your line and he is
safe All, that rush means business, never
mind the boat. 30 overheard, but hold that
liue tight. Pull. pull, pull-oh, pull for a
yard OF slack will raise the laugh on you
Good. McGulpin, the bow is among the
FURNISHES and the shore is near. The lash
ing monster feels the tickling of the bull
PUSHES. and he knows that means speedy
death. Now for one last, mad, despniring
effort.
Straight up into the air he shoots him
self. his 1.-THE sides sparkling with drops
that glisten like diamonds. n volcano of hot
rage. Let him have his way, let out the
line just SO much. How much? Enough to
Keep him from swapping it in twain, and
not enough for him to loosen that hook;
this is his one grand chance for life. He
filings himself like a circus acrobat, nose
pointed away from boat and shore. Nov.
II you know anything let him go, but only
until with gentle pressure you can turn
MIN rs tug will tow great ship around
Is he Off No. That white turbulent circle
means that he is still hooked and your skill
is bringing him toward you again Will
he try another leap?
He would if he knew how out of breath
you are. standing there quivering like
frightened girl, painting and with eye
afiame with delirious intoxication. Draw
in steady. the boat is in the shallows
What's that brushing your legsf Never
mind; it is McGulpin crawling aft with his
gnff hook. Are you going to lose your
quarry! You see him plainly now, six feet
away. VIII he shoot that INDUSTRIOUS
power against the boat and tear himself
away to freedom? You may have the mus
kellunge ague and lose everything if YOU
are not cool and steady.