The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-10-07
CATCHING BIG FISH.
LANDING A HUGE MuskELLUNGE
MUST BE RARE SPORT INDEED.

A Poetic Fisherman Writes from the
wilderness About m Interesting Oc-
A Vivid Description.
There are four of us in this pilgrimage
into the wilderness-Mr. f. N. Lewis, a
Main street merchant of Louisville, and
his son, a student OF fair Harvard; Colonel
Weir, Of Greensboro, atypical Kehtuokian,
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 Airing
ton. The glimmer of y few white tents
bespeaks the presence OF party Of camp
ers, and this is as near the chair warming
feature as woods hostelry can boast Of.
The breath Of the balsam woods fans the
tanned cheek, the same air that Bayard
Taylor has described "as grateful TO the
lungs as Falerian to the palate" The
clear, cold waters rush and swirl in tor
tuous channels ranging from bowlder lined
shore swallows to fifteen fathoms Merrily
they dash their green waves, striped with
golden sun rays, upward to catch the blue
Of the cloudless ether. This is the home
and haunt of the bass and pickerel and
lunge.
McGulpin is the guide. Brown of face
and with a CHEEKY smile he looks like q
battercake with dab of honey on it
From Elliot's he leads us through the
spruce forest half mile over a velvety
turf formed Of the fallen spruce leaves as
soft as Persian carpet, and we come out
on the most lonesome expanse Of water
ever saw 1t is between great islands, but
the entrances on either side are narrow
and winding.
The trolls are out The silent oarsman
bends to his work. The quiet Is depress
ing. Not sound disturbs the eternal 81
lence. Even the oars dip without more
than a ripple. Only two lines follow in
the wake of the boat. The colonel and the
student have gone away to themselves, toe
far off to note their luck. The moments
lengthen out-and then the line lengthens
too What is thisf Have caught hid.
len rockf Queer rock to lash tail like
thatl In it comes, tugging and raging,
and with open mouth threatening mod
ern edition OF Jonah, to lie painting and
wrestling in the boat-a 10-pound pickerel
With line pulling out almost as fast as
one in pulling in and the waters white with
contagious rage Of finny gladiator, there
could be no recollection of the depressing
heartburn and provoking cough OF indi
gestion. To be fishing where there never
are mosquitoes or malaria or even black
flies and other insects contributes to the
sources Of universal charity and generos
ity. Even the hay fever patient snuffs only
the battle with the trout.
But to catch muskellunge-a palpitat
ing, throbbing gamy aggregation of FIVE
and-twenty pounds Of aqueous life-you
Brier creek men must wait for that before
you come to tell what luck you have had
oh, you swamp fishermen, gently throw
out your line, and watch that no leaf oil
lilypad or stalk of bulrush entangles IL.
intrusive green upon your glittering spoon
Did you feel n gentle tuga Draw up-you
have 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 a tiger ready te
spring, alert and 1.-THE In an instant. Thai
glittering, revolving spoon, spinning on its
swivel, will be seen presently. Look out, Is
your arm out Of iointP Gather yourself
Never mind McGulpin's chuckle, for he
will look out for oars; you look out fos
yourself. You have hitched lightning
express train, and it is billed through
Haul in, keep taut; oh, for your life don't
slack the line Blood ON your fingerS All
right, that will cool your fever a little; il
is only the line that has cut through into
the flesh.
Come in steady, jerk not. still come in
You can'ti You must. Take a goot
breath. Never mind McGulpin, he is pull
ing toward shore. There he goes, tha
hillock of foam means one fearful strik,
for life. 1t must be tiger against tigei
now Let him tangle your line and he is
safe. All, that rush means business, never
mind the boat, go overheard, but hold that
line tight. Pull, pull, pull-oh, pull, for a
yard Of slack will raise the laugh on you
Good, McGulpin, the bow is among the
bulrushes and the shore is near. The lash.
ing monster feels the tickling of the bull
PUSHES, and be knows that means speedy
death. Now for one last, mad. despairing
effort.
Straight up into the air he shoots him
self, his 1.-the sides sparkling with drops
that glsten like diamonds, a volcano of hot
rage. Let him have his way, let out the
line just so much. How much7 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 circus acrobat, nose
pointed away from boat and shore Now,
If you know anything, let him go. but only
until with gentle pressure you can turn
him ms n tug will tow a 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 leapf
He would IL he knew how out of breath
you are, standing there quivering like a
frightened girl, painting and with eye
aflame with delirious intoxication Draw
IN steady, the boat is in the shadows
WHAT'S that brushing your legsS Never
mind; it is McGulpin crawling aft with his
gatf hook. Are you going to lose your
quarryp You see him plainly now, six feet
away. Will he shoot that monstrous
power against the boat and tear himself
away TO freedomI You may have the mus
kellunge ague and lose everything If you
are not cool and steady.
Lean out, throw that right arm as far as
possible from the boat Suppose you do
fall out. Stand up to your armpits but
don't lose your taut hold. There he is his
tiger eyes, bloodshot and defiant, glazing
at you. Now for McGulpin-you have
done all that man can do. Steadily thu
guide reaches out the gaia plunge, Il
mighty lashing-a peaceful flash-out you
COUP the bank-falling limp and breath
less on the sweet, soft boughs OF spruce
while MeGulpin hauls In. hand over hand
your 4o-pouud muskellunge.-Cor Forest
and Stream.
Rapid Firing.
The Gatlina gun f. now worked nv M