The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-08
FEAT OF A MAINE ANGLER.
JERRY Cross BAITED a LINE FOR
Az AYE AND CAUGHT 1T.

mails That Were Added to tho Sport.
how Jerry Cross got his axe back from the bottom
OF Mooschcad Lake1" said an old resident of this
town. who was talking with New York visitor
He and his brother orrick were up at the lake
and had Just started In on their winters fishing
when Jerry. In chopping q hole through tho Ice,
let the axe slip from his hands, and down II went
10 the bottom. They were fishing In deep water
for whitehsh, and there seemed no way oil get
ting the axe back. which meant the trouble and
loss OF time in making trp thirty miles down
the lake TO Groenville for new one. An axe
was a thing they could not do long without up
in the woods, and orrck was for making start
straiehtway for Greenviile, and he scoded his
brother for his carelessness
why wasn't 80 more careful jerry? he said.
'Ye ougbtnt 70 have let II git away from 20 In
that foolish manner
Godfrey Mighty said Jerry; that was great
word with him; lest you tend TO yer ashin'. and
don't you trouble yerself about the axe I'll
git IL when I'm ready
Jerry baited hook, taking little moro pains
with the line than usual, lowered II down through
the hole 70 the bottom, tied the end OF the line TO
the ttup, and went on 70 the next hole Orrick
fretted and fused about the axe and kept up his
ccmplaining after they had got to the camp at
the end Of the day.
We'll have no frewood tomorrow. and one
Of US will have 10 lose two good days in goin' 10
Greenville for new axe, he said. And It's all
OWN 70 yer carelessness In losin the axe We had
Never you fret yourself about that axe. Or
hck.' Jerry said We've wood enough for to-
night and Ill get the axe back safe and whole
the fust thing in the mornin'.'
"orrick was still grumbling about the axe when
they went out the next morning 10 their ttups TO
tske In the fish that had hooked themselves over
night Jerry came TO tho hole where no had
dropped the axe and pulled up the line with tho
axe and q whitefsh both fast to 1t
-'Mebbo you'll believe me another time when
l tell you q thing Jerry said TO his brother I
dropped that axe In a-purposo The handle was
retdn' loose and Just wanted TO swell 1t up In
the water
Perhaps n will interest you 70 know how Jerry
worked 10 to get the axe back, for -nost men in
his place would have counted it as a dead loss,
aud given up hope Of getting II again, from the
heavy sinker which was fastened 10 the line about
four ieet above the hook, In fishing, the sinker
rested on the bottom while the live minnow that
biitcd thc book swan within the four foot limit
Of line that extended beyond the sinkeI. The
sinter used then was merely strip OF sheet get.
lotto keep ttfrom slipping Jerry always carried
a spare piece Of this lead in, his pocket, and to
lead TO the line about three feet above the sinker
\ whitehsh took the bait and, swi inning round
md round the chunk Of lead, ound the line about
the aXe-handle so that when Jerry pulled up
his line tho axe and fish came up together, simple
elplsi tang when one understands how il was
don, though il secnel ike miracle TO Orrick.
"Uncls JeIty Co.'s was called home from his
last hsilng many years ago; but his son John
kssp, his lather kit OF tackle as a memento.
1t II al odd looking lot OF angling gear when
compared with a modern fisherman OUTFIT
do-,u or more stout hand lines wound on bits
OF stick vita hsayy shset-lead sinkers hammered
OF "a, line; AL sEea: eluare bent hooks that
would have held TO tow mill log TO shore. Jerry
Cross's day was before the new tangled fish and
game laws cane in when O man might catch
hsh II he could. at all times Of the year and sell
them where he pleased; and in taking lake trout.
the ashelman wanted no bother, OF playing his
fish with fancy tackle Winter fishing for trout
on some O. the Maine lakes was business as
for col and haiiock of the coast Jerry Cross
paid 70! the farm whore he lived oil his life, on
the fish that he caught at Mooschead Lake. He
was only one OF many who followed this inland
tons Of trou. were taken from this lake and ten
tons moro were caught during the next summer
WHICH a. the market pSs Wee T9h SO 600
team Of horses and ended toward the last of March
December usually found Jerry Cross and his bro
ther orhek in boy sled or pqnG behind Jerry's Old
ioS their TIP with SIX week supply q d oHT o salt
pork, beans, moasses and tea, with Jug Of New
England rum packed with extra care in straw,
journey was over when they had gone the forty
miles over the hills that lay between Jerry Cross's
ne, on the lake was easy the mare drawing the
ID and the two men and their dunnage along over
ice as II she had no load behind her. Arrived at
d r Isle, or Spencer Bay which were he places
re the Cross brothers usually fishcd, they
W It into their camp Of the year before, perhaps
b :ltanew one. Old Doll was quartered in camp
b ,it for her, and fed with hay brought from Green
&c, or bought with fish from some nea rby logging
amp After getting settled in camp, the next
proceeding was to catch minnoTs for live bait
into the lake. After enough OF these had been
covered to keep out thievish minks and offers The
work OF cutting holes through the ice and setting
the ,i lines for trout or whi!elish began, There WIS
be used. and when all were set the two men often
had as many as thirty holes to attend 10. Every
ice that had formed across them over night and
the frozen lines set free before they could pull up
and a common sight to the Transfers who hauled
supplies up, the lake to the logging camps was
Jerry Cross lying on his face by fishing hole I'M
mindful OF tho freezing north wind which had half
buried him with fine drifting snow, Once he lay
trout that his clothes iroze fast TO the ice and Orrc
had TO cut him clear with an axe. The FISH caught
from day to day were stacked up on the ice, like
Cordwood. where they remained, frozen hard until
the end OF the trip when they were taken down the
lake by team and freightinS sled and either sold
al Greenvillo sent direct by the fishermen II
Boston One Of these sled loads OF fish was a sigh,
such rs not to he seen nowadayS-a heap Of giant
lake trout many Of them weighing from fifteen to
twenty five pounds, with n few square tail trout
among them, and perhaps q hundred or two Of
WhltehSh the most dainty eating of all.
There were features some OF them exciting.
In the calling of these old time fishermen that
seldom occur in the experience Of the anglers
oi these times. who fish for sport and can legally
catch only twenty-five pounds OF trout in any
one trip Offers and mnks would steal fish from
The catch stacked up on the ice, and the fisher
men would retaliate by trapping or shooting then
when they could and selling their pels TO the fur
traders A black cat, or fisher, was even a worse
thlei than an otter, and wolverine, when one
shanced TO come along, was worst of ALL for il
lett alone, he would carry away and hide tho fish
70 the last one for pure love OF mischief il seemed
lorh was not thought that he ever ate them. With
wolverine traps were of no account, however
eunninglv they might be set and baitcd for either
he would leave them alone or he would find some
wav - spring them and secure the bait withOu
getting caught To track him down in the new
snow deep enough 10 hamper his travelling anC
shoot him # they could or at least, make th'
locality unpleasant for him to remain in, was
the fshermcns only way Of getting rid Of IN,
sS.2lyenne Often the wolves would give III,
fishermen serenadc at night, though they rarey
came near enough 10 NEEDLE with their fish aftel