The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-26
JAOksoxrs erAxr Bnoox ERoUr,
A pIsh story frem q Resion where shiu with
the LonG Bow No Longer Excitsa wonder.

the bong sew Ne Longer EIcttea Wonuer.
NELSON. B. c., Sept. 2o.-Evorything out
hore is bigger and nercer than In the States, rs
people tell It. The mountains are higher. the
streams clearer, colder and swifter aud the
lakes deeper than anywhere over the border.
Ton-pound trout are as common here as two
pound suckers in a Pennsylvania stream.
They are go comnon that nobody but q tender
foot ever boasts of what he has caught. In
fact things are all so big out here that there is
little Boosting about anything, and men have
ceased to draw the long bow because their
stories fail to excite wonder except in an East
ern visitor, and tendcrteet are too infrequent
10 keep narrntors in practice.
For instance, Fred jackson and Nose Grin
nell told a most remarkable story one day this
week without exciting n ripple Of surprise.
1t was the thrilling narrative of q fight with
one of the biggest mountain trout ever heard
of in this world; but IL did not seem to thrill
anybody save the latecomcr from Jersey, to
whom an eight-ounce trout had hitherto been
IA prize. Fred and Nose had just como into
town from a prospecting trip among the upper
Columbia lakes md had been packing over
some mighty rough country for six weeks or
more with their beans, bacon and -four. Their
rifle and fishrod were necessaries and not
luxurics, for they found occasional fried trout
- lViiC kAlllS u NtIIOtlC uiltO W Lilti
scanty fare.
Early one morning last month Fred left
camp early to get a trout or two for break
fast, while Nose was starting q fire to boil
coffee and fry bacon. Fred reached q bit OF
rapids in q nearby stream, and in starting to
jump from a fallen tree to a rock, scaled of Q
big piece of bark and made a bad slip. He
had his rod In one, hand and his tackle book In
tho treo. The rod he recovered. but the BOOK
containing all his hooks and flies was swept
90, int into a = gorge u 9 ,a below wv IN, ind irrct tns ssaS
was completely habbergasted until he rcmem.
bered that there was a single fly hook In the
his spirits, and he attached it to the leader and
began fishing In the pool below, the rapids.
q strike as he had never known before, and
the ne went whizzing Oft the reel. The FISH
started off down stream at n speed which would
have taken him to, the Pacific in a day or two
II Ned had not snubbcd him with q firm wrist
and started q new, line Of tactics, The limo
in vigorously az the fish circled tho pool and
started toward him. Then came a fight which
won'd have put a Canadian salmon to shame.
The fish concluded that this one big pool
circling around it at bicycle speed. while Fred
the sport wonderfully until suddenly the fish
came out or the water u the far side Of the
and Fred's eyes bulged, out as he saw bis
prize for the first time: II made all the sport,
ing blood there was in him bubble and boil,
until tho sudden rca!i Lation came to him that
fast in the lips OF this huge fsh was the only
hook left in the outfit, and that to lose the fish
meant to 80 without trout for the rest of the
trip.
The Precipitation started from his forehead
and ho began 10 swear vigorously as he heard
the second joiut OF the rod cracking as If it was
about to break. He clung to the weakening
rod with tirel wrists. swore at the big trout and
screamed for Nose.
Nose meanwhile was making a great deal of
NOISE with an axe more than half u mile from
the point whero the fight was going on; but
suddenly his eurs caught ole Of Frod's notes
OF agoni2ed profanity. and grabbing his rife he
ran toward the stream fully expecting to find
his chum in q hand.to-hand h-ht with a
grizzly. When he reached the pool by follow.
inE up a blue streak OF swear words, and saw
Fred tuning on a rock ut the edge OF the pool,
Nose threw himself down on tho moss and
roared with laughter. His mirth gave way to
anxiety when Fred said:
"Gct M, you dodgastcd idiot, and shoot this
fish. He's got in his mouth the only hook thi-
side of Nelson. and If you can't kill him you'll
go without fish till We get back"
The trout was now saving backward and
forward through the pool, occasionally show
Ing at the surface or lenpinE, out, but giving nc
ing ominous!y and Nose saw that action was
necessary at once. He was q little nervous
from fear OF cutting the line with a bullet and
missed three shots in succession as the fish
broke the surface. The fourth shot broke The
ashore. The precious hook was saved and
luscious steaks from tho trout made q delightful
addition to the breakfast OF tho hardy ren.
The men had no means of weighing the fish
Ave pounds. The fight lasted fully an houl
and a quarter, Fred's arms We're sore for two
DAYS aftcrward. hut he did not care for that sc
long as the hook WAS saved.