The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-14
L.iSSOED ms FISH.
MIR. Benz's dventure Win q Dass-One
Fish 10 Two Anglers.

George Benz of st. Paul il probably the
only man in the country who ever caught
bass or came near catching one, with
line on which there was not hook bait or
sinker. II happened in this way:
The line, silk No 5, had become con-
siderably twisted in trolling. so twisted
in fact that il would kink badly when reeled
in; all lines get that way, though spoons
and most other artificial bats have swivels
on them.
To straigh,en out the line Benz took the
bait and hook from it and ,rolled it behind
the boat. 1t Is an old trick. but known to
comparatively few fishermen. The line
in going through the water without spoon
on IT rcverses the twist and strengthens out
in little while
While trolling in this fashion Benz felt a
jerk and then IA succession of sharp tugs.
With no idea other than that his line had
become fouled by floating weed or branch,
he rceled III slowly.
When not NOR, than twenty feet was out
he became convinced that he had fastened
TO a fish in some manner He then played
IL rs carefully AZ he could. anxious 10 see
the outcome Of the strange happening:
The fish fought gamely and tried all II
knew TO get away. but was brought in until
II showed plainly in the water. II was u
half-pound red-eyed bass and IT was caught
about the body near the middle. IL was
brought to the boats edge all right, but
in the attempt to lift il in il gave one fin6
fiirt and got clear falling back into the water
and darling away.
When Benz removed his spoon from
the line he left in its end the plain loop
which is known as the fishermen's bend
This loop was about four inches long and
when thu, Inc was dragging through the
mn ba N,,nt.l
The fish either struck at the line. or was
swimming fast when il ran into the loop,
which was just big enough TO permit of the
passage of part Of It's body. In lighting
the rod it kept the line at stiff tension and
there was no chance for the loop to slip on
Benz would have given something 70
land that fish. hut, a. 1t was. had an eN-
perienCe that will never come to him or TO
any one else again. Fish have been caught,
or partly caught, in many ways, but red
eyed bass IN the loop of an unlocked I'M
baited line il unique.
Funny things happen in bass fishing
Toward the close of the season William
Hammeyer Of Winneconne, Wis. was fish
ing from n boat with his friend. G.. Il. Ham
iltOn Of Peru. Ind. They were on Fox
Lake and fishing was not good, which made
them eager.
Hamlnrver got a strike fastened his fish
and began TO reel in strongly. determined
10 land his catch without loss of time. Ham
ilton got a strike and diu the same thing
They had been an hour without bite and
had no leisure or inclination to watch one
another The first fish after an hours
casting is apt To get on the nerves.
When the bass was close To the boat Ham,
meyer discovered that he was bringing in
his friends line and said
We're tangled Let out a little line till
get this fish in"
Hamilton discovered the tangle at the
same time and laid the same thing. They
glared at each other and reeled furiousiy
With jerk that ought to have loosened
all Of its scales a pound bass came out of
the water Hammeyer's NEEDLESS hook
was fastened in one side of its jaw, Hamil-
tons was fastened in the other. They
lifted the bars in and looked at one another
They agreed without words 70 call it part
ncrship fish
Both men had cast at the same instant
and their bats had struck the water close
together. Keeling in the bats had come
within a couple Of inches of each other.
The fish either struck both bats at once or
it struck one of them, felt the pain from the
hook, slung its head TO one side and got the
other hook