The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-06-23
BEATS WATCH YARN.
MAINE MAN CATCHES TWO BASS
HITcHED TOGETHER.
One Had Taken Isis Trolling Gang :
Year Before and Hooked Its Running
Mate-The champion Fish story d

Joe Bennett, one of the champion
fishermen of Kennebec county, Maine,
is busy these days telling friends Of
his great luck at bass fishing in Round
pond. Joe has lived in Belgrade for
many years, and his veracity has never
been questioned. To back up. his
statement in this case he has exhib-
tied the great catch he made a few
days ago.
Last yea Joe's brother Alex came
down from Montreal for a few days
fishing. He has been told many times
Of the extraordinary catches his
brother had made in Round pond, and
was eager to get tangible evidence.
The two decided to try their luck to-
gether. One day last year Joe was
out in the boat alone and spent much
time trolling along the shores of the
pond for bass. He had not succeeded
In getting a strike and was about to
pull up and go home when there came
a tug at the rod that nearly upset the
boat n Joe narrowly escaped a free
bath.
Quickly recovering, he played the
fish for some time. and at last got him
near enough to the boat to reach it
with the net. AS he was about to put
the net under the fish the latter gave
a tug and broke the line short of
above the leader. When Joe exam
ined the line he found that the two
hooks, two bright flies, as we'll as the
leader and fish We're gone.
Joe was mad, and at once pulled for
the shore, declaring that never again
would he try to catch a black bass in
Round pond. He left for home in Au-
gust.
The morning after Alex arrived from
Montreal the two men started bright
and early for the pond, loaded with a
days supply of edibles and bait. There
had been no catches in the pond for
weeks, and Joe was determined to kill
the report currently circulated that
the fish had forsaken the pond and
gone to a new home. They fshed and
flshed in the best spots for hours, and
finally there was a pull at Joe's rod
the like of which no fisherman aver
experienced. Joe gave the victim plen-
ty of line and soon had the prize tired.
He drew it up near the boat. Then
there was a jump and two big bodies
appeared above the water. @
Joe was excited for the first time in
his lite. and Alex nearly had a fit.
Alex offered advice and Joe made an
attempt to follow it. 1t was good
that he did, for by doing as his brother
said Joe was at last able to geL the
prize near enough to the boat to get
the net under, and two big bass were
landed in the boat.
Joe examined the fish that he had on
the business end of his line, while
Alex carefully studied the mate. Joe
finally became satisfied that the extra
line in the mouth Of the ish he had
was his property that he had lost the
year before, and that while swimming
around another bass had been caught
on the hook that was attached to the
one in the mouth Of the first one. Joe,
being a wise fisherman, took the catch
exactly as he had landed 1t to his home
and on the suggestion Of his wife took
the two fish to the village %postofice,
SO that his townsmen might have alb
solute proof of the wonderful achieve
ment of the Bennett brothers as fish
ermen.
The man who dropped his watch
overheard and recovered 1t years later
from the stomach of a captured fist
takes second place in the records.