Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-06-15
ARLINGTON.

The Times mon OF Albany, III lGS
Wednesday edition has quite an inter
esting and numerous letter, descriptive
of fishing excursion through Bennlng-
ton county The writer says: After
looking over full list of the Raymond
and Whitcomb excursions, and some
hundred or more of Cooks tours, we de-
cided to strike away from the beaten
paths and 90 where we would not find
more than hundred others after the
same trout We finally selected the Bat
tenkill, at Arlington, VT, and secured a
prominent architect to draw up plans
and specifications. The night before
May 1st, we started. The professors
luggage consisted of a package of pins,
100 cigarettes and half barrel of snake
bit medicine, but notwithstanding the
impeachment in his speech, which such
load caused, we arrived there on time,
and funny to relate, the professor was
shown to the bridal chamber, for it
seems he had telegraphed for room and
the hotel man saw that the handwriting
was feminine, and of course took us for
a newly married couple. AS there was
only one bridal chamber in the house, l
was compelled to sleep on the soft side
of billiard table. 1t was manifested
very early in the game that we were put
down for a couple of jays, and when the
professor was discovered braiding his
whiskers before retiring, that settled the
whole business, and everyone in the
town thought we were his meat. The
first fun they had with us was to advise
that we to start early in the morning,
take a train for Sunderland and fish
back, as that was by long odds the best
spot in the stream. So we got up early
and sat down to breakfast; then we
waited. At last the food arrived and
just as the professor had removed sill
yer hair from the golden butter, we
heard the engines whistle, and with that
we jumped from the table, grabbed our
tackle, ran nearly quarter of mile,
but we caught it, and then 1t waited
nearly half hour, giving us plenty of
time to 90 back and get one breath
which we had lost. We finally arrived
at Sunderland and made strike for the
far-famed Battenkill, or as the Indians
called it, Ondawa, signifying what
fools these mortals be-" For four long
miles-for five long hours we fished
faithfully, but not bite-the day was
intensely hot and before nine O'clock
the professors collar and boiled shirt
showed signs of early dissolution, but
still no fish. We went on posted water
and got fired off, but still no fish. We
tried all manner of bats in all varieties
of enticing shapes and even spit on the
hook, but not a fish. SO we sat down
and had good drink of spring water
out of an orphan tomato can, while the
professor tried to poison himself eating
skunk weed, while laboring under the
impression that it was water cress, and
vet no fish. We observed some NATIVES
fishing They had pole about % feet
long, big brass hook which they COW
cred with barnyard hackle, then they
would attach a sinker and cork to the
line, throw it out into the middle of the
stream and 90 back to work. In half
hour or so they would return, look at
the hook and go back, and even they
had no fish, In fact, we travelled from
Sunderland to Arlington, and not only
did not catch fish, but did not see one
that anyone else caught, and really there
is very little promising water between
the two places-mostly still, with mud
\dy bottom-and hence we were not
greatly surprised that we returned to
Arlington with creel as empty as when
we started-ditto stomach. But after
dinneF we went on our own hook, and
the change in our luck, the good time
we had, Che beautiful stream we tished,
the lot of Trout we brought home, and
how we got them, will be told some
other time. But it served to convince
the natives that we were not jays, nor
even a couple on>.a bridal tour. The
moral of this fishing tale, as thus far
told, is that if you Intend to fish the Bat
tenkill, between Sunderland and Airing
ton-don't-but if you do-pick out
deep pool, drOpjsentiment, and angle as
you would for underestimate, the only
way wa{ot to catch rOut in that stretch of