The Washington times., 1894-09-02
CAUGHT A LARGE BOARFISH
Col. Anthony ROdier Relates an Inter-
esting Fishing Experience.
MON A WAGER SINGULARLY
An ex-Postmaster and Newspaper Man on
Yacht Aga inst the Colonel, Uriah Swan
son, and Harry Dinkfelt in a Boat-The
Narrator Prominent Elk.

Col. Anthony Rodier, hale, hardy, and
good-natured, sat on chair before his place of
business on Sixth street, near the Avenue, the
other day. His face was wreathed in smiles
as he greeted the piseatorial man OF The
TIMES.
II caught bushel Of perch on Wednesday
morning" was his salutary remark, and the
grin left his countenance and Il serious look
settled upon his round, fat face.
at is wonderful what luck I have had at
fishing" continued the good-humored
disciple OF Walton. Several friends and
went down to the lover Potomac and in two
hours time we had just half bushel meas
ure full Of the finest perch you ever saw No,
we never count them; we always measure
them. caught the largest. 1t was the Sec
ond one landed l knew it was a big one,
and that he had hooked himself good by the
way he pulled. l tell you, had great salts
faction in pulling him up and the colonel's
face beamed with a look of delight 1T
measured scant fifteen inches and weighed
one and one-half pounds. We held a fish
talk over the catch and resumed dropping
our lines.
Perhaps one of my most interesting ex-
periences at fishing was when party of my
friends accompanied me TO Quantico. We
went down On the early morning train and
had scarcely settled ourselves under the shade
of the wharf when along came ex-Postmaster
Conger and Paul Jones, newspaper man, in
ii fishing yacht. They came up close to US.
They were fully equipped for trout fishing,
with innumerable flies rods, and reels. We
were prepared for perch fishing, and after
few minutes talk with the newcomers wager
was made to the effect that at the end of an
hour the party having the largest number Of
fish would take all that were caught There
were three OF US with two lines apiece, and
they had five lines between them. ! tell you
you never witnessed a more earnest contest.
OF course 1t was all luck and for the first If
teen minutes those fellows had the greatest
luck you ever saw. Why, as honest as | tell
you, they didn't have a moments rest. They
landed trout after trout. and as beautiful ones
as swim in any water. We had just caught
fifteen, and Uriah Swanson, one OF my party,
VINO held the reputation of being the most
finished fisherman IN kennebec, Me, was Civ
ing me the laugh because predicted a rush
of perch IN a little while knew that a school
Of the white beauties would come along and
nestle in our territory and would drive away
the,trout.
y
your usual luck to-day shouted Paul Jones,
as he was lifting two rods at one time. They
did'nt have time 10 reel them in. All at once
there was noise heard as If d sidewheeler
was approaching, and Jones ami Conger
looked alarmed, being afraid that they would
be run down
They are coming, I yelled out. You'll
catch no more trout this day ] said.
''Our turn had come. The perch were with
US, and old Swanson, Harry Dinckfelt and l
were kept sweating in landing the fish.
You could hear them battling with the trout
The noise was similar to the distant sound of
a small cataract. Hurry up said to my
companions, and the look of despair upon the
faces Of Jones and his companion excited pity.
They looked on in amaZement as we kept our
six lines going at a rapid pace.
"Our bait was running short, and we had to
use it scantily. The rush lasted just twenty
seven minutes and the bottom of the boat
had several layers of fish. Diuckfelt became
exhausted and l. too was being worn out
We had TO stop TO take drink of some strong
cold coffee we took with Us. | had scarcely
finished saying that that was bad luck when
the gentlemen in the Yacht began 10 work
their reels. Heavy waves rocked our boat.
1t heaved and tossed as though we were
directly over a large spring, and the water
bubbled up as though there was an eruption
somewhere. A wonderfully strange sound
was heard. ] never heard anything like it,
The perch stopped biting and l was glad Of
it, because it kept me busy to keep myself in
the boat. The trout have returned, said
Swanson, as he took a firm grip on the oars.
And so they did, and Jones and Conger
smiled as the trout began to hook themselves.
For the next ten or twelve minutes they did
all the fishing, and in the meantime we put
our catch in two big bags, feeling confident
of winning the wager.
1T lacked just three minutes OF the hour.
when suddenly there was another upheavel
in the water. l had two lines in the water.
Both became drawn tight. l pulled up and
by jimmy-netty, had hooked what was alter
ward found out to be a boarlish which in
habits the Mediterranean Sea. The water
became placid again, when all of us went on
shore to measure our fish. We had the same
quantity, and we had 10 count them. We
counted theirs and they counted ours. And
what Go you think he said with much
earnestness; we had both the same number.
Il was terribly put out, and was just about
to make the pro position to draw lots as to
who lost, when Dinckfelt suggested cutting
open the boarhsh. l agreed. and that was
the only thing that saved US. for inside the
strange fish were three perch and one trout.
"We had won the bet. and all went aboard
the yacht and enjoyed an excellent meal,
with all its extras. We did not hold them to
their wager, and gave up the trout.
Il II show you the skeleton Of the boarfsh
the next time you pass this way" was the
colonel's parting words, and not a smile was
on his face.
Col Rodier is a charter member of Wash
ington Lodge of Elks and has served as trus-
tee four years. Hence his veracity should
mass without chEllenpa