The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1899-06-30
BEATS WATCH YARN.
MAINE MAN CATCHES TWO BASS
HITCHED TOGETHER.
One Had Taken His Trolling Gang
Year Before and Hooked Its Running
Mate-The Champion Fish Story OF
All.

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 exhlD-
tied the great catch he made a few
days ago.
Last year Joe's brother Alex came
down from Montreal for 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 or the
pond for bass. He had not succeeded
in getting strike and was about to
pull up and go home when there came
boat and 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 1t
with the net. AS he was about to put
the net under the fish the latter gave
a tug and broke the line short Off
above the leader When Joe exam
ined the line he found that the two
hooks, two bright flies, as well as the
leader and fish were 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 fished and
fished in the best spots for hours, and
finally there was a pull at Joe's rod
the like of which no fisherman ever
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 life, and Alex nearly had 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 fish he had
vas his property that he had lost the
GEAR 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 wise fisherman, took the eaten
exactly as he had landed it to his home
and on the suggestion Of his wife took
the two fish to the village postoftice,
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 it years later
from the stomach of a captured fish
takes second place in the records.