The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-06-01
WHERE TO GO FISHING.
ALI About the Resorts in the Neigh
borhood of Topeka.
HOW TO GET THERE; WHAT TO TAKE.

Accommodations Provided for Fish
ing Parties, What Kind OF Fish VIII
BE Found and How te Catch Them.
It is not necessary for the lovers of
angling who live in Topeka to journey
to the mountain streams of Colorado or
the great lakes for their sport with rod and
reel, for, while the local fishing resorts
furnish no trout and few black bass.
there is an abundance of spotted or
channel catfish, sun perch, sheepshead,
wall-eyed pike and white perch to be
had within a few hours drive of the city.
To be sure one must understandable
art of taking the different varieties above
/ mentioned to insure him q good string OF
| fish, for to fish successfully requires
nearly, if not quite, as great skill as ID
necessary to shoot on the wing.
To those who can devote but day or
two to their fishing excursion, and do not
want to waste any time in preparation,
Mill creek, near Maple Hill, il the place
to go. Upon reaching the town, put
yourself in charge of Jersey Small,
who runs splendid i hotel, tell
him what you are there for, and he will
see that you get fishing, and good fishing
at that He will also furnish suitable
tackle if you desire it.
There are more catfish than any other
variety in Mill creek, as in all the local
streams, but there are also sheepshead
and wall-eyed pike in fair numbers.
The best bait for either of these is the
live minnow. The bait should be fair
size, about three inches in length, and
hooked through the skin of the back,
| just in front of the dorsal fin.
A heavy sinker is necessary to hold
the minnow under water, as they have a
! tendency to come to the surface. It is
unnecessary to employ a reel, though it
is convenient in altering the length of
line for different positions Mill creek
is beautiful stream with shallow rip
pies and deep Still pools. The water is
very clear and the rock is visible at a
considerable depth.
Parties desiring to camp will find an
excellent place for that purpose at the
creek ford, on the Topeka road Just
above this crossing is small pool out of
which any number of sunperch may be
] taken.
Wakarusa.
Wakarusa has been noted az the best
! stream in this locality for black bass and
croppies, but the drought last summer,
| together with the extreme heat killed
great numbers of them and as q result
but few have been taken this season
| The bass in WRkarusa are of the big :
mouth variety and weigh as high as four
or five pounds. The small mouth bass is
much larger, weighing az high as ten
pounds. Croppies afford the greatest
sport at this place, as they go in schools
and when biting take the bait with as
| much vim as the bass, and when hooked
will fight just as hard, though not as
long. as that fish. They weigh as high
as two pounds, are a very pretty fish,
much the shape of the black bass, though
not quite SO thick through, white in color
with dark spots on the sides and are I'M
| eXcelled as a able fish,
Channel cat also abound in Wakarusa
and are quito frequently taken. weighing
from three to six pounds, and if any one
has the idea that fishing for channel cat
| is tame sport, let him hook a five pound
er on a ten or twelve ounce bass rod and
by the time he has landed him if he
does not alter his opinion he is person
who would not consider tarpon fishing
sport
The channel cat, unlike the yellow or
mud cat, does not nibble at the bait, but
takes it with a rush. and they may be
caught more readily with live minnoW
than anything else.
Many people unacquainted with the
stream make the mistake of going tc
Wakarusa station, while the best loca
ton to fish is some four miles below
Wu0IO ny LIS AdLu0 OIL Jos
eph Cubberly owns grove which makes
an admirable camping ground Dowr
the creek from this grove about half {
mile are number OF deep pools, and i
is out of these that the finest cat fish
with occasionally bass, are taken. Fol
croppies the better place is up further
where there is a stretch of water severa
hundred yards long.
For fishing in Wakarusa one should b.
supplied with a minnow net and buck
ct, an eight foot bass rod with
reel, plenty of medium sized braid
ed linen or silk line, with No 81
hooks on a three-foot gut leader. Th,
above tackle is equally suitable for bass
croppies or channel cat. 1t is a grea
mistake to use a very small hook whel
fishing with live bait To reach tn,
above described location one should tax,
the Berryton road and after passing
through that town inquire for CubberIy'
grove and he will have no difficulty il
finding the place.
Grasshopper.
Grasshopper, either at Osawkie O
Thsmpsonville, is first rate place TO
1 those who want big cat fish, but at eithe
} of these places it is necessary to resor
} to the trot line to insure big catch
: though at times fair sport may be ha
with q rod.
Grasshoppsr is not as pleasant a plac
: to fish as Mil creek or Wakarusa, as tn
banks are steep and usually muddy
One advantage Osawkie has is that on
S can take the L, T. 6 S. w. train, which
: leaves Topeka at 1880 a. N. and reache
Osawkie an hour later, fish all day an
S return the Same evening. arriving hom
y a little after o'clock. There is no raj
road running through ThompsonvilIt
. nor is there hotel, SO it is necessary (
o drive and camp while there.
/ Soldier CreSk.
( Soldier creek fifteen miles from il
# mouth furnishes frst-rate sport to tn
o angler. At that point it resembles Mi
creek and Wakarusa, having rock DO
y tom and being nuoh clearer than ,