The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-09

sight Of them my blood commenced to
;ingie. and / thought what sport il weulG
Be 70 have a battle with one OF ihes--
With this possibility in mind i cast my
spoon out into the pool and drew II care
fully across. Before I knew what had
happened / felt strike that nearly took
me OF my feet. ! knew that l had prize
and settled down 20 business. Ay yod
weighed only eight ounces, and every tia
the FISH gave tug l expected 10 see u
break into small pieces l never had such
a fight In my life. For fully thirty min
utes unanswered and schenled 10 get my
prize on land, but IL was no use. the best
1 could do was TO work him, after the
most bitter fight imaginable, into the shE.-
low water. Not only was I weary. bat the
big fellow also felE the strain OF the tug
of-war, and he lay there as If almost worn
out. He was truly king-pin fish. and l
wondered how / would be able to get MIN
ashore Finally / concluded that he must
be so completely worn out that / could
grab him by the gills and haul him ashore
I waded cut 10 where he lay. breathing
slowly, in about six inches OF water. and
made A grab for him. thought had
struck a cyclone. In an instant was OF
my feet and engaged in the greatest
catch-as-cafch-can wrestling match YOU
ever heard of. First the fish was on top
and then /. i did my best 10 get
my hand under his gills. but
he seemed to realize the hold was after
and would execute a counter movement
every time I attempted 1t. He Whaeked
me in the face with his tail and rolled me
around. until I wondered whether l was
on foot or horseback. Finally he gave
one desperate lunge and slid away from
me, breaking my line of about six feet
from his mouth. Instead of going down
into the deepest water. he lay Ike log,
with his great gills working N an ex-
hausted manner, only short distance from
where had fought him. The water was
as clear as crystal. and l could see him
so plainly that the more / looked at him
the madder got Finally 1 came to the
conclusion 1 would get that fish or die
in the attempt. ] took out of my fly book
a small grappie and split shot. / threw
the Cripple over the other side OF my late
adversary and yet he paid no attention to
IL. Carefully / worked the hooks up until
they were under his first fin. Then gave
a sudden jerk and had him once more.
The second fight was worse than the first.
! could not turn him or run him in any
direction. He raved and pitched and
threshed around IN the water with a fury
that / thought hardly possible in a fish
that had gone through what he had. The
best / could do was 10 get HIM In shallow
water and then / was helpless. After a
while I commenced to yell for my friend,
nut ne was so TAI away he Ola not GEAR NE.
As luck had it, however. he came along
when / needed him most and helped me
land my fish with a gaff hook. Even
after he had got the hook in him we had
a big fight and II was not. until L saw
the prize on the dry land that felt that
the hatfle was really won. 1t was steel
head &sout. and by actual measurement
was 81 inches long. 1t weighed l4te pounds.
The total time required to land him was
even twenty minutes. ] looked like a
drowned rat after 1t was over and felt
completely played out
William Fl. Finck killed forty trout in
Swan lake yesterday with trolling spoons
alone. The trout averaged half a pound
each.
The second day of the Queen City Good
Road Clubs excursion to Tacoma took
the majority of the cyclists ont Of the
city. Tacoma presented a lively appear
anee and the paths In all directions were
alive with wheels. Every one had good
time and II Is calculated that the local
bicycle fund will receive a snug sum.
PEE BEE.