The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-13
FORGOTTEN ANGLING DELIGHTS
a Rural Philosopher on Garden Making.
TreutInE and Old RIahes.

MILFORD. Pa. June Sits unfortunate"
said the rural philosopher, as he leaned on his
spade and mopped his forehead with his BAN
dana. that trout fishing always comes around
at its best just at the time when your garden
has TO be looked after. SO II you do your duty By
the trout you're likely to run short on early
garden SASS, and IL you sacrifice yourself by
sticking close to your spade and your hoe you
miss a heap OF fun and have to sit around nights
at the grocery and hear the other fellows tell
about the big ones they caught and the bigger
ones that got away, muttering 10 yourself all
the while that they are liars and you know it.
Its a wonder. isn't 1t. how incredulous a fell
low is about the other fellows fishing exploits
when he hasn't got any OF his own to tell about
But there's no getting away from it. Nature
hasn't regulated troutinR time and garden max
ing just as she might. That's what she hasn't !
"Have / been out aftor any yeti Well, yes.
I was over on Chipmunk Run t'other day. and
splurged around considerable. Did I catch any
thingi Yes. I caught a ride home on Joe Big
gins's mule wagon. That wasn't bad luck.
either. for l was more than tired. ! had the
| right kind of bait, though. or I don't think I'd
have caught that much, for Joe Is queer. The
bait was all right. There was nearly a pint in
the flask. Joe bit at the most OF It.
But there doesn't seem to be any trout any
moro. Seems as II they'd gone off into their
holes and pulled the holes in after EN-. 1t does.
for a fact! And that has sort O. set me to think.
ing. I've been thinking for some time, now.
that n fellow would show a heap more sense. and
sloshinR along the brooks and pretending that
trout are the only fish that swim, although he
and wake up and remember the fishes that used
to be good enough for him to toss q hook in
after. and that. too. when trout were as plonti.
For instance. now, what's come to be the
matter with the catfish He isn't n daytime
dsg' is sn dark with vi S clouds '' or moist with tn rsin. ' so
your up-to-date sportsman might say Pooh,
p1G nisht ! to Iure w mS T ppe ~" y Y sho m rdn%i or yo 20 " he
doesn't mind tumbling heels over head into a
trout stream; nor going miles In the nighttime
Eyes. the catfish. His mouth is just AS rom.
modiOus and his horns are Just MS sharp as they
worth bob6ine for, amt they And he can swear
at you Just as hard when 70" haul him in and
Krunt and grumbic at You Just as amusin! as he
sysF S SIa, os NotD hS, Then Ho, , what's ,h,nc the matter
And there's the eel-our circumlocutory old
friend, the cell What has come over the eel
we did When we were bcSsI ! star as i" I ca" N
learn, he can tie himself in q double bowknot
around your leg just q DEITY as his great,
his old trick Of sneaking, of under your very
eyes and walking off with your bait, hook, line,
prowler. too. like tho catfish. and he was wont
to give great sport on the hob In the days that
remember. There arc catfish and cells a~-plenty
yet. And they've got all the Old-day sport In
them. Don't you forget it. Then what's the
matter with EN-
"And then the sunfsh There's the sunhsh
Shaped like a pumpkin seed, and moro sass In
him for his size than any other fish that evel
grabbed a worm. ] can't think OF any reason
why he shouldn't make a frying pan smell jusl
as good as he did forty years ago. And his bic
cousin. the yellow perch Where can one find
holder or handsomer Ash than hei
Then | mind me the silver-sided chTb-thi
club hasn't left tho riffs. and the waters wher,
the shade falls at noontine, has hei The chul
was a trihe prickily about the nose. that's so
and his jaw was inclined 10 re leathery. but JUS
toss him . white grub or a grasshoppcr on
hook. and. whoo-o-o-o! wouldn't he give yol
u fight He'd give you u hght that'd MAKE
you think that maybe YOU were fooled. afte
all, and had n three-pound pickerel brace'
against you. instead OF a three-q uarter-pounC
club And then there's the
"Say!" And the rural philosopher dropped
his spade. DO you. know that with ever.
spndeful OF this new, lusty oarth one turns vi
he gets. through the subtle chemistry OF the soil
new lease OF health and life II you do, I wisl
you'd tell the first man yop meet that no car
come right here and secure that lease, and Re
. dollar n day t0S aQiRg it, I'm going 1ahiDGI'