Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1895-07-04
THE PHANTOM TROUT.
by a. LIVINGSTONE.


THE LIST of April has for untold ages
been the Day of Foolsl Why, no one in
particular seems to know There are
patron saints for everyone from the
prelate to the thief, but who is the
saint of All-Fools?" Thus spoke Tom
Marks, one Of merry trio of trout
fishers who had journcyed up into
Sullivan county, New York state, to
fish on the lst of April, only to find
that the waters Of their chosen dis
trict could not lawfully be fished until
the 18th of the month, and that they
must journey many weary mile
across country before they reached q
district where the open season began
on All-Fool's day. The change of loca-
ton was not accomplished until late
In the evening and, although hopes
were bright for the next days sport,
there was considerable grumbling at
lost time.
The party had gathered around the
fire enjoying that peace which a pipe
brings after q good supper, when
Toms question was asked. In tho
corner of the fireplace was the oldest
member Of the party tying flies. He
looked up: swell, you boys knew all
about It, and left it to you until we
were on the cars, but as soon as you
said 'Sunnyside' l said to myself:
'Hoodoo, and, mind you, had my rea-
sons"
"What were they?' chorused the
other two.
"A story now is as good as at any
other time, and as we are properly
April fools this time Heaven forbid
that the boys ever hear of itD, I'll tell
you a story of twenty years ago, when
was fishing in this very county. /
hired man to show me the good
spots, and he was worth his hire, for
there was less open water than there
Is now, and did not care for bait fish
ing. The next morning saw us OFT for
the stream, and very good sport we
had.
"My guide proved to be a quaint,
garrulous fellow, who had lived up In
those tangles for about sixty years,
and remembered plenty OF strange hap
peniugs and changes. | drew many q
warn out of him at lunch and at nights.
One day was casting down by curl
GUS old piece of ruined brickwork that
looked as II it might have been built by
Chris, Column and had been there
ever since. Pat, the man, had
zone into the woods to try and locate
n patch of water he had lost track OF,
and I was to keep up stream until he
overlook me. When he came along
and found me seated on that brick
wall he nearly dropped, and begged
me to come away, adding that he had
no idea would get up SO far or nc
would have been back sooner. Then ne
cussed at great rate.
1--WE turned off to lunch, and tins
was the yarn he told me. The wal
was part of very old brick house
built during the British occu
pancy by an English gentleman Pat'
father, then not long over from Erin
had acted as river warden, keeper
fisherman, ETC., to the Englishman
Who was always fishing, never weary
;ng Of II as long as the fish were in sea
son. What made both OF them mac
was that they always had to go som'
distance from the house to catch fish
Tor never one was there in the pool op
,osite the lower garden wall. The,
mt down two net dams, and put fisl
,stwecn the two dams; but it wa
no use. not a fish could they catch
One dav the Englishman got mad, an'
syore by the equivalent to the Grea
Horn Spoon that he would get a fisi
ort ~ there If he fshed until his arm
tell off and to that end he gave him
self strength by loading up fairly wei
with whisky. ,o,, -,
mTt was M the stream and down Tn
stream the owner and his man, mrs
ore and then the other, and as one Dol
,lo was emptied the servant fetched an
sth.r and no doubt took a sly nip o.
The way, and the Englishmans eye IN
wos wail-eyed) seemed to glow WIZ
sro and obstinacy the more he dranB
mt otherwise he was as sober as
; Su, Night fell, and still they wer
Ssnhtino the blank stream. The ger
t1eman had fires built on the bank am
made q night of it, notwithstandln
chat his good lady came down an
haa.,od him to come home, as q dccen
eshsrnan should; and there he tishe
nn,;l the dawn, while Pats father
,sgs were like to drop OIL HIM wit
, ,esI " or, more likely, to give wa
nnder him with the whisky
"Still the Briton fished' until az i a.
18th = terrible oath he stood on tn
wali sy Sors again that he would dr ,i
the blankety blank stream pu. VIM !.
he he would get fish, and just ST. then -, =
had a q magnificent strike and RI y
..h;ch made the reel buzz again. =
WIS w inst commencing to play the d
Ssh for big it was, two or three poun'
A. asI least, when $50 Pats father i. sw o.
~ the the Good Book out Of the watt
,o.s ~ . beautiful lady with a pr
r no,,nced Hiberniar accent and SAID
charg' ye on yer p'ril to 60 ioP'