The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-09-27
THE BOSS FISH STORY.
How Two Mammoth Sturgeon Got
Hitched to a Boat and Kept the
Occupants Busy.

Col. John S. Cooper, one of Chi
cagos noted sportsmen, and father
of a movement for the esta blishment
by congress of monster national
park in the great game region of
Minnesota, gives this account of his
most remarkable fishing experience,
says the Philadelphia Saturday Even
ing Post:
"For more than 20 years l have
made it rule to take at least two
weeks fishing in the muskellunge
waters of Wisconsin or Minnesota.
On one of these pilgrimages l was
one of party of six Chicago men,
and we made our camp at Plum lake.
in northern Wisconsin, body of
water which did not tempt the mus
kellunge fisher, but which had at it's
north end a portage leading over a
ridge, or hogs back to another
stretch of water known as Star lake.
Star lake was the place for grown-up
muskellunge! We had only one boat
on this lake, and therefore only two
of us could fish at one time. My COM
panion and myself lowered for two
days about the first lake, catching
black bass, wall-eyed pike and pick
erel, and throwing them back again
as fast as caught, and then our turn
at Star lake came! For two nights
we had been filled with envy as we
, looked on the spoils of the other fell
lows.
We started out that bright October
morning determined to break all pre-
vious records, and we agreed between
ourselves to throw back all bass. pike
and pickerel. We also agreed to
throw back all the musl.e .luncc that
should weigh, in our estimation, less
than ten pounds each. At Eve O'Clock
in the afternoon we had caught 12
muskellunge that suited us; they av-
craged 10 pounds each. Although
this was more than the others had
brought in, we determined to follow
the advice of our Irish guide, and not
only beat 'em, but bury EN- just
as we rounded again the bar of the
lily PADS and muskellunge weeds
which reached out into the lake, /
made east and there was a great
swirl in the water. The fish took my
SINNERS spoon just as the bait
struck the surface of the water.
Just as he made a squirt for deep
water my companion, an old doctor,
shouted: That fish is a hog; he has
taken my spoon, too
"'No,' yelled the Irishman. we've
caught tn other one iv TIL family
(Muskellunge go in pairs.)
"rhe guide was right. We had both
fish, one on one side of the boat and
one on the other. 1T was an exciting
fight. Sometimes both were out of
the water at the same time, and
when they dove we had the greatest
difficulty keeping those two fish
apart. Finally, as l had worked my
fish very hard, he began to show
/ signs of giving up, and was slowly
drawn alongside, gated and landed.
! BY this time the doctor was shouting
| 'Next!' as they do in the barber shop,
and was endCavoring to reel in his
fish. The guide stood ready with the
gaff, and in few moments the sec
ond fish was landed. 1t was almost
dark, but we were near the shore.
| That made II muskellunge which the
guide and l had to carry across the
portage trail-about one-eighth of q
mile over the ridge. We cut a - or
14foot sapling, ran it through the
gills and mouths of the fish, and.
leaving the fishing tackle for the old
HNpfnr fO made TO-
ward camp. My right shoulder aches
now when | think of it. The doctors
big fish weighed "a pounds and mine
g. This is the only instance of
which l have heard In which two such
monster fish We're hooked at the
same time from the same boat"