The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-03-02
A BULL ON A FLY ROD.
LIVELY EPISODE OF A DAYS FISHING
IN CALIFORNIA.


mon on n Trouting Trip.
Travelling overland from Santa Bar
bara to san Luis Obispo, said tourist
recently returned from southern Cali
fornia, "our journey as far rs Los Olives
was by stage. OF the beautiful land and
water scenery along the route of our
stage ride two features particularly i'm.
pressed me One was the backward view
from the summit of the coast noun.
tains, with Sarta Barbara, i2 milgs
back, clustered on the left and right of
its white Main street, the islands be
yond and the bl1e Pacific.
1.-THE second was the river that we
fordod shortly before arriving at Los
Olives. 1t was type Of water course
common in California, with wide,
deep bed, perfectly dry, except where a
clear littlo stream rippled its way along
narrow channel through sand and
gravel, winding and cddying round bars
and bowldCrs A man might leap across
it in many places, and the water did not
come nearly to the wheel hubs as the
stage rolled through it.
at Los Olives, which we reached at
O'Clock p. IN, one of tho dishes served
at our excellent supper was trout,
caught, as we learned, in tho pretty,
clear stream we had crossed. That deter
mined us to stay over day at the sta.
ton to try tho fishing. We got out our
tackle and had day of great sport. TIC
rnoch tb, xvotor ,yo bod to r,ot ,loyrp . he
steep river banks and follow the dry bed
through which the little stream seemed
to pick its way. The trout we caught
were of the black spotted mountain va.
ricty, ranging from 6 to IA inches in
length and averaging about three to tho
pound. Smaller ones we put back in the
water.
But there was an experience more
exciting than fishing to come before the
day was ended. At noon the ladies Of
our party come by wagon to join us al
luncheon, and they accompanied Us in
tie afturnoCn's fishing Toward night,
when wo bid worked well up toward
the mountains, some cattle came down
to the stream to drink, and without ap
parent provocation a lively young bul
began to paw the ground and below un
pleasantly and followed these demon
STATIONS up by charging upon our party
Looking N rom my fishing at thi
iuncture, | c1| that it was the red plait
shawl of the ladies that had ex
cited the animals hostility. Calling t.
her to throw down the shawl and 70,
thom oil to run, l threw stones at thu
bull to divert his attention, while tn,
other gentlemen of the party helped
them ne step bank, where the bull
could nov follow. The bull stopped a
the sh. tossed it about in an ugl,
manner, and then, turning his attention
to me, gave me a sharp run across til,
sands to the bank. | got there all right
carrying my rod, with the line ant
leader flying behind, but just as strucl
the top of the bank felt sudden jerl
Of the rods tip and turning saw tina
one Of my fly hooks had caught the bull
in the nostril
1T was one Of the queerest catches
imagine that ever a fisherman made
| and / literally played that bull with
| fly rod for quarter Of an hour. owe,
him 10 good will, and besides / wanted
| to save my tackle. The nostril of bull
as you probably know, is exquisitel,
/ sensitive to pain, and with my strong
/ flexible split bamboo rod, duplicating
/ reel and stout gut leader at the end of
hundred feet Ct braided silk miinaget
/ to hold the big creature under control
! He couldn't seem to make out what hat
! got him by the nose, but he knew tina
! it hurt him worse whenever he tried {,
! break away and to increase tho myster,
there was all tho time dangling ant
switching before his eyes big, brigh
red bass fly that had left on my leade
as an experiment in trout fishing. HI
would strike at it with his horns, ant
his rage at finding he couldn't hit it
and that it came back at him every time
was colnical to witness-from place o
safety, Of course.
From time to time the bull would
charge upon the shawl and toss tina
about, and then bad to work the rec
| and tip for all they were worth to saw,
all my tackle from going by tho board
At last, in one Of these furious charges
as he lifted the shawl on his horns fel
something give away, and at the sam,
moment the shawl went up into the air
! The hook had torn loose from his nostril
and two Of the hooks ON the leade,
were fast in the shawl. | dropped tn,
rod and pulled line and shawl in, hanc
over hand, like Cape Cod fisherman
hauling pollock. The bull didn't tumble
to the situation until / had got tn
shawl nearly to the bank, and then h
came for it. but it was too late. Iwhip
| ped tho shawl up to whore we wer
standing just MS his head butted the per
poldicular bank with thud tina
brought down shower of earth.
"Ihe shawl carried a good deal o
sand and had somo holes in II, but ther
was no disposition to complain on tn
part Of its owner. We thought we ha,
enough fishing for one day, and leavin,
our enemy down in the river bed pawinI
sand and believing his anger we tool
our wagon thankfully for the hotel. -
| New NOrl; Sim