Asheville daily citizen., 1894-10-27
A REGULAR FIGHTER.
The Msekinaw Trout Tests the Fish,
MANS I Inc and skill,


mars Line and skill.
If the Mackinaw trout could be
fshed for with light rod and tackle
as salmon are, said New Yorker who
has been trying those game Lake
Michigan fish, the title of the salmon
as king of game fish would fall at
once The Mackinaw trout is stronger
than the salmon, of greater average
weight, equally as tactful, and as fierce
fighter as that Goliath of fresh.
water fish the muskallonge. A bout
with one of these trout at the end of a
hundred feet of lin on supple split
bamboo rod woald give the sturdies,
salmon fisherman enough of hard and
exciting work to satisfy him for the
day. Eighteen. twenty, and even
twenty-five FOUNDERS are by no means
uncommon, and thirty-pounders excite
no more than ordinary comment.
But the Mackinaw trout, like the
salmon trout of the New York lakes,
isn't built for fine tackle and if YOU
want him YOU must work the oars of a
boat faithfully and trail your whirling
troll at the end of two or three hundred
feet of heavy line in from fifty to one
hundred feet of water. Sometimes the
fishermen ties his line to his leg as he
rows his boat, but the usual style is tc
hold it in his mouth-that is. if he is
fishing for trout anywhere on the lake
but Traverse bay.
From time ont of mind Mackinau
trout have been tishcd for in LAX,
Michigan with a slender, minnow
shaped troll so made that it will whirl
rapidly when drawn through the wa
ter, and fastened to IA staring white
line as big around as Il lead pencil
A good many fishermen had held fo,
years that this trolling line was a
detriment to fishing, as it acted as q
menace to the trout, which are shy and
wary and that with line less in evil
dencc in the clear waters of the lake
greater success would attend the sue
cess of Mackinaw trout fishing. But
no one seemed courageous enough tc
try any other kind of Il line until two
years ago, when Il citizen of Traverse
City, who was not fisherman. made
up his mind that he knew how more
and bigger trout could he caught, and
he went fishing one day with Il
fine copper wire for his line in.
stead of the staring white twine
of the fathers. This wire was
absolutely invisible in the water
and when let out with the troll carried
no suspicion to the Mackinaw trout's
watchful eye. The result was that this
citizen came ashore with boat-load OF
the biggest Mackinaw trout anyone
had ever seen in one lot from Traverse
bay. Since then the fishermen in that
part have adopted the copper wire foi
a trolling line, but elsewhere on the
lake the hide-bound old sportSmen stiel,
to tradition and white twinr
There is no mistaliing the strike OF
a Mackinaw trout on the troll. and tn,
instant he makes it all othe,
business must he subordinatcd tc
that of getting him safe INTO the
podt' III NIit cNpitNSiNc ana cpllpTe'
hcnsivc parlancc Of the Lake Michigan
fisherman, you've got TO keep Il Mack.
inaw trout agoin'. Its no easy matter
to keep fifteen or twcnty-pound
Mackinaw trout agoin and the mex
perienced angler will find that the first
thir. = he knows the trout will be
keepin' him a-goin'.' If the big fish
gets the least bit of slack line. he will
turn and dash away, sometimes actual
ly pulling the boat around, if not tow.
ing it. Once headed away from the
fisherman. this game and lusty fish
rarely fails to break the hold of the
hook. The angler who can keep ht
trout a-goin' as he hauls in the line
hand over hand. may get his prize
alongside or within spearing or Shoot
ing distance in the course of fifteen or
twenty minutes
THE Mackinaw trout fishermen
never take the risk even of galling Il
big trout. Indeed. some carry revol-
vers of large caliber, and when the
trout is hauled alongside the boat or
within safe range they shoot it in the
head, and put the fight beyond all
question. Others spear their catches
with long-handlcd, sharp-tiucd gigs
n Y. Sun