The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-09-11
CATCHING MUSKALL ONCE
How the Largest of the Fresh Water
Fishes Is Captured.

There are two wildernesses in that part
| of the United States east of the Mississippi,
two wldernesses of pines and lakes and
streams. say the Chicago Daily Tribune
The first OF these Is old and we'll known,
Eut still Il wildcrness-the pine country of
Maine and the Adrondacks Here there
are deer and caribou and moose in season.
and there are in the waters the coveted
fishes OF the salmon family, trout, and
landlocked salmon or the royal salmon
himself.
The other wilderness is in the Middle
West, covering the upper third of the state
OF Wisconsin and the whole upper PENN
sula of Michigan Here stretch the pine
woods as in the older East, and here are
connected series of lakes and streams, SO
that one may travel hundreds of miles
without setting foot on land, except for
short stoppages.
The white tailed deer is native here and
still abundant, but there are no caribou
and moose. To the north Of the low range
Of hills known as the Iron Divide all the
waters flow to Lake Superior and the
streams of that watershed bear the brook
trout Of the East. Below the divide the
waters are tributary to the Mississippi
river, owing thence by one or other of
the three great river systems Of the Wis
consln. the Flambeau, or the ChirpeNa a,
the latter being really one stream, empty
ing as the Chippewa into the Mississippi.
no its main branch or tributary the Man
ltowish waters, separated from which IN,
low divide are the Turtle waters. Each
o. these systems collectively known in
the local vernacular as waters is a Sc
ries of connected lakes, the streams bind
ing together the systems, being in many
cases but small or sluggish creeks called
"thoroughfares. In all these lakes and
streams which flow to the Mississippi and
in no waters of the United States except
those OF the st. Lawrence river, there
is native fish unknown to the Eastern
Wilderness the giant muskallonge. the
most savage of all American game fishes
and the largest, If one shall except the
pom, which Is native to the salt water
only.
Angling for muskallonge is one Of the
most exciting of American uasiimes with
the rod, and rare indeed is the :ls of any
country which yields moro spo:: than this
great pike. In weight 1t attans at times
fifty pounds. Or did before me destructive
fishing Of late years. Fish of tl,lty pounds
are not uncommon, though twenty pounds
is not an unusual weight even today. A fish
OF that size, animated BY a savage and
indomitable spirit. will give the w;elder
of the light rod all he wishes to cttend
to. 1t often requires over an hour to Ling
the fish to boat.
The muskallonge is sure to go out of the
water two or three times in the course of
It's fight, and vivid enough is the sensaticn
of its appearance, with it's vast hodv
writhed in the muscular cxertion OF the
leap. it's stecly jaws distended and sha king,
It's cold, yellow eye cleaning with rage
and showing no sign Of fear The mus
kalonge is the only fish In whose eye any
expression can be seen: but any one who
has seen the steady glare with which one
of these fish will look at him as it lies in
the water alongside the boat will admit
that the expression can be called nothing
but one of hatred and savage fearlessless
II the fish should not free itself in one
of these mad bounds into the air it may
run far and strong. or failing then to
break free NAV sulk at the bottom and
require much nursing as any salmon.
The method of fishing for the muskal-
lOnge Is altogether by trolling, a large
sized spoon hook being used for this pur-
pose. The fish is a surface feeder and is
taken by Il hook submerged not more than
Il few inches and spinning at {; distance
of perhaps forty feet behind the boat. Tho
''longe" lies along the shallow bars where
the rank weeds grow nearly to the top OF
the water and the aim Of the bontman is
to keep the boat just outside the line of
the bar, so that the spoon hook shall trail
parallel to the course of the bar.
The angler in this sort of fishing is usual
ly obliged to depend upon the local guide.
or hoatmcnt. who know. or claim to know,
the ms and outs Of all The bars haunted
by the fish The boat ordinarily used is
common rowboat. impclled by oars, I'M
taken guide and canoe with him for a
try ut some new and unfinished lake to
which no trail has yet been cut. On the
portage ovel such rough country the birch
canoe of the Indian. which the white man
of the woods uses as we'll as the Indian,
Is the only craft possible to carry.
Glorious indeed is the sport some of
these unknown lakes have given to tho
adventurous souls who braved the trials
of the woods to reach them. Tho sports
man and the guide are alone upon the
little trec-grt lake. The birch-bark has
just come through the little thorough
fare which led up from the last lake,
and has not yet had time to get its route
established around the shore of the lake
| Almost the instant the line has straight
ened and the spoon begun its whiring-
making it like to nothing on earth or in
| the waters under the earth-the great fish
has struck with its mighty rush. going
| up out of the water at the same instant,
as often rs these fish do
The guide has had no time to get out
| into the deep water beyond the fish, as he
! knows is his duty. but is pushing for the
| open water as fast as he can. The angler
| is equally we'll advised to his own duty
| He hes met the leap of the fish not with
| rod held high and bent back us would
| the salmon fisher. He knows that :he
| head of this fish must not be allowed
| To so an inch higher thar he can help
| above the water. He keeps the tip of his
| rod low and his rod parallel with the
| surface of the water. Therefore. though
| the jaws of the giant snap and clash,
| and though the spuonhook jinsles in the
| air at the vicious shaking it receives the
head OF the fish is held firmly, the great
| body does not fall on the line, and the
fish goes back to water with the barbs
| still we'll set.
/; Should the angler obey an injunction
often seen in books on angling, and drol