The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1897-07-28
Romance Of the Golden Bass.

THROUGHOUT the Thousand lakes
region of northern Wisconsin Dave
Gallup is famous as guide and angler.
The submerged secrets of ten scores of
tiny island seas have been wrested from
their pellucid depths by this remark
able native of the great pine belt.
If there be shaded pool in all this re-
gion where dwells the mighty muskel-
lunge or the fighting bass, hidden bar
where turks the green-coated, wall
eyed pike, or a bed of reeds from
whence the voracious pickerel darts at
spoon or minnow, to which Dave Gal
lup cannot pull his client, no man has
discovered it. In his day he has con-
Quoted many famous men to such royal
sport that falsehood fell into disgrace
and truthful yarns of rod and reel are
bitter fruit and held up their REALTORS
to scorn and contumely.
Men of well-known varacity like w.
S. Forrest, Jacob Newman, Moritz Ros-
enthal, A. H. barrow and Tom Prior,
to which Dave Gallup had led them
have been outrageously derided, and
friends of ancient standing have gazed
with stern reproach ere they fled from
the presence of the returned pilgrims
to the north woods. But the fame of
Dave Gallup did not rest entirely upon
his abilities as guide. In the region
round about his prowess as slayer
of muskellunge or bass or as the sue
cessful caster for speckled trout was a
subject of familiar gossip, and over
the camp fire in the black depth of the
wilderness or in the ruddy glow of the
barroom CRATE such tales of finny bat
ties and victories were recounted that
would have driven the late MIR. Walton
into retirement or madhouse.
More than all, Dave Gallup was a
specialist in the art of angling. From
distant lakes frequently came stories
of strikes" of "muskies" of prodigious
size, or of mammoth bass that gave the
merry laugh to the cleverest of fisher
men and swan away, carrying in
their noses adornments of pretty
spoons with triple hooks and
gaudy feathers. Well-authenticate
stories of this character coming to
Dave Gallup's ears were but signals for
immediate preparation on his part for
a journey. Then his acquaintance
would lay bets, even to the extent of
all their possessions, as to the size of
the fish Dave would bring back with
him. So great was the mans success
that the fortunate outcome of his ven
lures carried heavy odds.
1t was In the spring of 1890 that the
golden bass" of Clear lake was first
heard of in the Tomahawk region. Ac-
cording to the story Chicago man of
the name of Finnegan, while trolling
along the west bank of the southern
bay had received a strike that set his
sporting blood on fire. The whizzing
reel, the tremendous pull that met his
attempt at snubbing, as we'll as the
mighty dashes made by the fish, told
tirely beyond anything he had ever ex-
perienced. Finnegan was sportsman
of rare accomplishment. The fight was
magnificent. Twice the great fish
leaped in the air, but the silken thread
like line, reeled by master hand, re-
manned taut and the battle went on
A half hour passed. The great bass
eight-pounder at least-was the fresh
er of the two. AT last, while Finnegan
was Keeling home his catch his tired
thumb momentarily relaxed it's pres
sure on the shining spool and in that
instant the great bass leaped three feet
above the surface of the water, shook
himself clear of the spoon and darted
into the depths.
While the monster bass was in the air
a ribbon of sunlight fell upon his shin
ing sides. Finnegan was astounded to
notice that his body back of the gills
for at least three inches and extending
in a band across the belly was bril-
liant gold color, while the middle and
tail of the fish were of the dark green
which distinguishes the full grown
black bass.
The story of Finnegan's lost strike"
was received by Dan Gallup with con-
tempt. That part of it concerning the
golden band was what prejudiced him.