The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-11-27
TaIS Is y FIS6-
Fro.c the New York sun.

Fro.r the View York sun.
20 go way, go way" sighed an Old
Texan ranchman on Sound steamboat
the other night, waving little knot
of enthusiastic anglers away with ootn
hands. Don't talk to me about sklt-
tering for muskalonge, trolling for
black bass and casting for trout and
salmon. | and every other Texan that
knows good thing when he sees II
can tell you of fish that can out-JuInp
and out-ineasure and outright any
swimming creature you can trot out.
He was one of cluster of men gath
cred in a dark corner Just abaft the
wheel house on the upper deck. and the
after-dinner chat had wandered around
to fun with rod and line. A young lei
low who travelled for Providence
hardware firm had lust been recalling
some famous days on the Rangeleys IN
Maine in times before summer hotels
and railways and guides had destroyed
the wilderness. The enthusiasm with
which ne dwelt on the capture OF
seven-pounder, its cat-like rush and
leap for the fly. the strike and the
fierce fight for freedom, and the gaining
by the Indian at the end had stirred
the old-time sporting blood of the
griZzled cattle king.
What fish is that" asked the college
professor, who is a salmon crank, with
sceptical knock of his pipe against
the camp stool.
The channel catfish il the animal
IN speaking about began the old
man, settling down comfortably and
fitting his chair back against the wheel
/ house, and in order that there shall
be no Misunderstanding ! want 10 say
/ right at the beginning that this Texas
( chap is no relation TO your darned slow,
stupid. muddy-eyed old pond catfish
! here in the north. SchoolDOys cannot
| sit on the bank with thread lines tied
/ TO twig poles and fish for cur cat with
/ bent pins. If they did they would
come home wiser and wetter If the
! tackle held ont. for Texan cat could
/ vank a good-sized boy into the branch
and half drown him without trou Bile
/ All the streams and creeks that lie 10
/ the southwest of the Red river IN our
+
/ those who have caught both fish regard
I il as far superior in courage. quickness
and strength To the black bass. Certain
I IL its flesh is far more tOOthsome.
1--WE hear very little and read less
about this species, and many do not
know any of the striking differences
between this and the common blue cat
fish. The channel cat has fms nearly
white, sides a pale blue, and a tai very
gracefully forLed. In shape it is mora
slender and delicate than the ordinary
fish. and II IS dotted with black al
along the body IN several lines. il
utters a loud and startling crOaA when
taken from the water, a If IN hearty
/ protest against its capture he flesh
is firm. faky and of a beautiful salmon
tint. II never weighs over six pouncs
THE shallow. undermining brook
are its haunts, for. unlike its cousin
the blue cat (which. by the way, grows
to weigh p pounds. il never fingers n
stagnant lakes or lagoons- II feeds on
the bottom. as a rule, but viii rise
freely 10 minuow. grasshopper. worm
or even fly. At the upper end OF sta
pool. where the ripple OF the swift wa
ter dies away IN dlmple curls- yor
will take him early N tae morning ano
at sunset At noon ne lies torpid on ne
bottom in cool, Swallowed spots
One of the prettiest ways TO charm
channel cat Is on a silver spinner
You drift down creek with the current
late in the afternoon. and cast from
side 70 side with about fifty feet Of I'm.
Wherever the water twists over roc-
OF wrinkles around = sua~en stun;
you send your wnirlinE toy. and rec
ing slowly IN Won VIII entIcc any char
! nsI fish that ua- De- near II just suct
( little LARS they lie when the shaooTS
grow long. and sometimes tie creek 70.
/ rods viii o. s-spLssb WITH the cc1i1o
/ ton Of their feeding.
one uses a long. slender rod AID
light STA line Eor the tackle aust n
delicate and strong. Once a eat e.
/ struck he becomes a verItable maniac
He surzes along the TOP. and then u
circles OF bubbles. dives - the very De-
Of the stream Along ire bottom D
Will tear Al oreasSnecs pace Ina
makes the reel scream 20 follow ana :
there. b. any snax and what Texas
branch bat h7s IL brush and roots 4 -
fallen tree then LEI Tou- prayer Z"
help ascend. u the channel ca -
dangerous 6sa II clear. swift Sat@r
among rocks ami tree stumps h -
very devil \ Big one VIII fgnt =
fifteen OF twenty zliHHtS~ before 20
caa Kill him
If oze desires % 49, Eles ~ rzust -
very bright co.ors- There - . very q
blue miller that dances aiong the ecgs
% tie creek IA o1- oazntry q whlcI
tlse cat i pas-i0nzt,.r foua- and tsser
: s. ted by mot q orr cat fs.'1e-
men IN cox 5rritA roo 4 - c-l5e1 -
smoky blHe- Ia ans UsT q asAszi
one must c@st frorn = eazt alwzFs al
toward tAs sso-e- =, - Is under -