The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-03-14
A BIG FISH STORY.
As Told in the Deep River New Era
 But the Truth of It is Guaranteed by

As Told in the Deep River New Era
 But the Truth of It is Guaranteed by
 the Narrator and Eye Witnesses.
 The Deep River New Era says: It
 seems good to hear a true fish story oc-
 casionally. The following is one of that , sort and was told recently by the main
 actor in the affair, whose name, if
 known, would be sufficient guarantee
 to it's truth. It was sent in by an Es-
 sex correspondent.
 A number of years ago when shad
 fishing was in it's prime and the Par
 sonage Pier,'' which is situated just be-
 low Lyme bridge was doing it's part in
 the then great fishing business of the
 Connecticut river, an incident happen
 ed that is worthy of note.
 | While the fishermen were idling about
 the pier one pleasant day between tides
 one of their number esried far below the pier on the flats, in water about four feet deep, what looked in the distance like a half submerged log, but to his practiced eye reSembled a large stur- geon.
 The narrator of this said to the boys, T am going to catch that fish," which remark brought the laugh upon him. However, they agreed to help him to the extent of paying out the long rope needed to reach their prey also to haul in if he succeeded in fastening to the fish. Continuing he said: T made slip moose and placed it over my shoul- ders, then started on what looked like perilous undertaking. The water was up to my arms which made the wading exceedingly tedius. The laughter and jokes of the men at my expense made me resolve to do or die. It was quite a long journey to the prize, considering the way of doing it, but I persevered and got within two rods of the stur- geon when he lazily gided away short distance l tried again and this time coming little nearer, hope began to rise. With every nerve and muscle tense, the moose in hand and opened wide, my chin just cleaving the water, quietly got behind him and very care- fully putting the slip knot over his tail, which all fishermen know is made per fectly to hold when once securely fast ened to and will never slip off, I then gave a jerk drawing the knot close. Now the fun commenced for had made fast to a three hundred pound sturgeon and not a lazy one either as the sequel proved. Talk about commotion in the water! There was thunderation in that vicinity for while. I strained all my powers for the next minute to get out of harms way.
 With wild cheer from the fisher men on the pier that would have done | justice to the naval lads when they cap | tured Cervera's fleet, they began haul ing in with the aid of the capstan, my | big catch. Now the fun continued for to be lowed tail first through the wa ter was objectionable to say the least, to his sturgeonship. The bounding and threshng of the water was a sight l shall not soon forget, but the struggles did not do any good in gainng liber- ty for the prize was finally drawn up to the pier amid continual cheering from the men.
 "The rest of the story is hid behind a veil of the kitchen, where good cooks make all good fish especially the stur- geon, to tickle the palate of hungry ishermen and in this case their repu- .ation was not lost as many will testify 70 this day"