The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-14
NJ. ID. Buffers Eagle
Story. Imitation Flies
taken by Birds, Snakes.
Turtles and Frogs


not he COMPOUNDED with the cottonmouth
OF the South. The common water snake viii
swim or run away when attacked. but the
moccasin frequently dashes at a person.
especially il IL has youns ones 10 guard.
People who hunt frogs at night with a
light often shine water moccasins. as they
are always found in the wafer after dark.
IL an attempt be made to kill them there is
likely to be a lively fight. especially IL the
snake be large / have the skin OF one that
was four feet long. which j had TO club a
dozen times before IL succumbed."
STRUGGLE WITH A TURTLE
II smashed a SIS split-bamboo rod on
turtle once" said Mr.. Esox. as Mr.. Thy
mallus concluded his snake story.
IF you used a cedar rod" one OF Mr..
Buffers disciples interjected. you might
have avoided the mishap." Cedar rods are
Mr.. Buffers fad. In fact. he is known as
''Cedar-rod Butler" among his brother
fishermen. Mr.. Butler makes his own rods
from carefully selected wood and he can
cast farther and land a big bass with more
ease and less strain on his tackle than any
other man in the State. At least, he has
that reputation among anglers.
Cedar rods may be all right for bass"
replied Mr.. Esox. especially when they
are handled by a cool-headed man, but
don't believe one OF your self-made works
Of art would have Jared better in the case
Of my turtle. was fishing in little lake
in northern Indiana and had met with poor
success, because its water was too deep for
fly-casting, except along the shore. and
there the moss and other water growth
were so thick II was useless to attempt TO
land a bass IL one were hooked. After
amusing myself by catching a few sunfish,
bluegills and redeyes, which took the fly
greedy, I permitted the boat to drift,
with my line dragging in the water. That
was carelessness and a mistake. as I real
lied later. There were two flies on the
leader-one a Lord Baltimore and the other
a brown hackle. The water was very deep
and there was no drift or distractions on
which the flies could snag. / had almost
fallen into a dose when the rod suddenly
began to slip through my hands. The reel
was locked and the line would not run out.
/ looked around and saw that the tip OF
my rod and about fifteen feet OF line were
under water.
DRAGGED THE BOAT.
"a minute later the tip Strengthened
ward. literally dragged along by some
thing. My first thought was that huge
gar was at the end of the lire. had seen
several resting the water with their
. rows OF fins sticking above the surface,
bat the thing that was dragging the light
boat proved not to be a gar. The man at
the oars soon had the boat turned and l
began to investigate. The bottom Of the
lake was so dark / couldn't see very far
down, but when 1 pulled or the line, the
thing moved. Finally, after series OF
short tugs, the thing began rising TO the
surface and I saw 1t was a large turtle-a
regular hardshell mossback. that probably
weighed twenty pounds. / knew my lead
| er was not strong enough 10 hold IL. so I
steered ii toward a sandbar. The hook
was fast in its mouth and the turtle evil
IDENTIFY had attempted TO swallow the fly
under the impression it was edible. When
near the sandbar the turtle suddenly awoke
into action. Possibly it caught its first
| glimpse of the boat, for IL Tipped its way
| through the water. going under the boat
with a rapidity that amazed and ratified
| me. My rod bent double and broke In two
places before 1 thought OF giving the turtle
| line. Then the leader snapped and the
| turtle was at liberty with hook and fly
| in its throat. As 1 gathered up the wreck
| of my outfit and reeled UP the line a sun
! fish darted at the dropper ly-the hackle-
which was above where the lead
er parted, and hooked itself. That
ended my fishing for the day. Two
! years later, when 1 revisited the lake. was
| told that a week previously a turtle weigh
ing twenty-three pounds had been caught
| by a boy. i saw the she'll II measured
thirteen inches across. 1t probably was
the same turtle that had smashed my rod.
because no one in the neighborhood had
ever seen another one as large"
| MISTAKE OF DOGFISH.
81 had a novel experience a few years
ago." said Mr.. Muskellunge. 'T Ash
! ing in one OF the little lakes OF Kosciusko
| county, using a spinner a lure. which !
! cast with a long cane pole. You couldn't
catch bass with fly there IL you fshed
a year-at least, that was my experience.
/ had made several successful casts with the
| spinner, striking good-sized bass that were
| hiding under the big lily leaves or among
the reeds. Finally 1 made long cast to
| the edge Of bank OF moss that grew TO
| the top of the water. / hooked large fish
and it fought hard for few minutes. but
did not leap from the water like bass.
| When 1T was worn out and pulled to the
boat you may imagine my surprise when
/ found ii to be a dogfsh. II was the
first one 1 had ever known to rise TO a
lure. and / have never heard of any other
person catching one in a similar way. II
weighed eight pounds.
do you know" said Mr.. Salmo. "that
frogs can be caught with imitation flies.
While trout fishing last year / dropped a
small black fly in front OF a frog and IL
was snapped at once. After securing the
croaker. / repeated my experiment half a
dozen times with the same success. There
was change OF diet that evening in camp.
and as frogs Were plenty we Jared pretty
well the remainder OF our outing"
have resulted in verdicts OF acquittal. there
| Is no expectation that he will receive