The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-16
KIPLING,s FISH STORY.
Puzzled by II, an Old Angler Asks the
Writer for Further Details.
Forest and Stream.

Forest and Stream.
A. N. Cheney. one of Americas foremost
authorities on game fish and fly fishing.
takes a mild films at Rudyard Kipling. The
accuracy of Mr.. Kipling's detail In descrip-
ing subjects innumerable and of vastly diff
fering fields has. rarely been questioned, but
in this instance the writer, upon first glance
at least. appears to be placed upon the
horns Of a dilemma. Mr.. Cheney says:
Last season while fishing for salmon in
the Restigouche, the conversation turned
one evening to the Pacific salmon, and a
gentleman present made the statement that
he would wager sl0,OcJ that he could go to a
Pacific coast stream and kill Pacific salmon
in the same manner that he had that day
killed Atlantic salmon with the fly in the
Restigouche, and L thought when he made
the statement that he could do exactly as
he said. The wager was not for the purpose
of making money. as he explained, but he
wished to be assured if he succeeded of suf-
ficient return TO pay the expenses of the
trip, for he would go simply to decide the
matter, for II was generally understood that
Pacific salmon would not take the fly. One
of the first stories l ever heard in relation
to Alaska after the purchase was made by
who said: Let the Yankees have the blank
country; the saumon will not rise to the
fee,
From that time until this / have not
heard of Pacific salmon being taken with
the fly except that possibly Admiral
Beardslee did write me that he killed a fish
or so when he was in Alaska with the
Jamestown, but of this L am not sure now,
although | know of a number of efforts in
this direction-one by a ~well-known Eastern
salmon fisherman-until a few days ago
some one left on my desk a copy of Kip
ling's American Notes and / opened the
book to find that Kipling had been success
ful in killing Pacific salmon with the fly.
Twice / read the chapter TO make sure that
my eyes had not deceived me. but he states
clearly and positively that his salmon were
There is no mistaking that Kipling is a
fisherman The chapter TO which l refer be-
gins: L have lived! The American conti-
nanr NAV n0u CfnE r1nAar tho Sao for II
have taken the best that il yields, and the
best was neither dollars nor real estate.
Tn best that 1t yields was a Chinook sal
mon were killed is told as perhaps only
kipling can tell 1t. First his companion
California let the gaudy fly drop in tail of
a rifle. l was getting my rod together,
when / heard the joyous shrek of the reel
and the yells OF California, and then three
feet OF living silver leaped into the air far
across the water
There is no mistake about the fly in this
case nor In the next. Kipling's own: 1 went
into mat Ice cold river and made my cast
oh. the pride of 1t, the regal splendor OF
II! The thrill that ran down from fngertip
70 zoe! linen the water boiled. he broke
enough sense in me TO give him all he
wanted when he jumped not once but twen-
ty times; before the upstream flight that
ran my line out to the last half dozen turns,
and l saw the nickeled reel-bar glitter
under the thinning green coils. My thumb
was burned deep when stroye 10 stopper
the line. j did not feel II till later. for my
soul was out in the dancing wier. praying
for him TO turn ere he took my tackle away.
And my prayer was heard. AS / bowled
back, the butt of the rod on my left hip
bone and the top joint dipping. like unto a
weeping willow. he turned and | accepted
each inch OF slack that l could by any
means get In as a favor from on high. There
lie several sorts OF successes in this world
that taste we'll IN the moment of enjoy
ment. but l question whether the stealthy
theft OF line from an able-bodied almo
who knows exactly what you are doing and
why you are doing II Is not sweeter than
any other victory Within human scope
There Is much more Of this told in In
imitable style before the salmon Is finally