The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-10


10 run with the currt,nt into the foaming
water. Fish often lie Ain wait In such pools
for minnows and othsr food carried down.
and In the swirl they!are unable 90 distin-
guish the imitation from the genuine
You are trying TO discourage me" Betty
| said. as concluded MY lecture. Lecture
is what she calls my bong explanations.
Not at all. have ymereiy told you what
| scientific fy-fishermea should know. II
you prefer Juggling about a pail OF minnows.
| crawfish. hellgramites or frogs. or possibly
a can of worms. you chn do so. 1t is largely
a matter OF taste and convenience
No; L think fly casting is the better
| method" Betty said, after a miputes
| thought. 1T is moro mercifuI thar dsing
live bait. 1t seems cruel TO impale worms.
| minnows and frogs Oh a hook"
You are right. and often wonder why
the societies for preSention of cruelty 10
animate things do nit inaugurate a cru
SADIE against persons who torture minnows
| and frogs"
Betty did not replys because she seemed
TO be in doubt whether i was in earnest.
Perhaps she imagined there was hint OF
sarcasm in my words. or she may have been
| trying to reconcile ms views with what
once told her about fishing in the lakes of
| northern Indiana. Ordinary fly fishing is
impracticable In moss OF the lakes. partly
on account of the depth of the water, but
mainly because the moss and lily pods ne
| cessitate the use of heavy tackle. 1 had
| told her / sometimes used live bait, but
preferred artificial lu.es such as spinners.
bucktails and imitation minnows. In rivers
and creeks, however. che artificial fly is as
taking" as any othertlure. much less both
ersome than live bait and certainly more
scientific
We were walking along the bank OF the
| run while discussing methods of fishing.
and were about half mile east of the
bridge when Betty called attention to a
watersnake that had al minnow in its mouth
| Jack threw a stone at the snake. which did
| not release the fish,, Then he struck IL
with a stick and killed IL. but the minnow
remained fast In the Jaws OF the reptile
Its teeth inverted and IL cannot
| easily set free anything II has taken hold
| Of" i explained to Betty, but she had
| studied zoology and knew more about rep
| tiles than /. Jack, 100, knew much, for
he had visited the Insiiana University bio
logical station and helped the students catch
water moccasins and bther snakes and had
watched their dissection.
We let the current carry the snake away
and walked on. Aftesr skirting field we
came to a high bank, at the foot of which
Jack said there weres several good redeye
holes, as he called them. made a cast
and had a rise cast. again and caught a
| fve-inch redeye. which bent the rod as
| guided it across the swift water to the
shore.
How easy that seems said Betty. re-
peating the remark she made before taking
her first lesson.
wish to try II again." I asked.
| She took the rod ans surprised herself by
| getting strike" on her first cast. The
fish, however. missed the fly and she cast
the second time. There was a splash In
the water and the line began to run out
Check it or you will lose your fish among
the roots and drift wood" told her.
Betty found trouble in obeying instruc-
| tions. her lesson in casting not having
gone beyond the mere putting out OF the
line and flies. With my assistance how
ever, she soon had TIE fish under control
and actually let it play in the water. as IL
she was enjoying the sport. before drawing
| 1t toward the shore.
| "There!' she almost triumphantly
| shouted. 1--WE landed: my first fish with a
| fly rod"
Betty was enthusiastic, but refused to be
| corrected when 1 said it was her first
"kill' and fatty declined to permit me to
use her hat pin as lance. 1 ended the
fsh's struggles with the point of my knife.
1t was a six-inch reaeye, an inch longer
than the one I caught
Betty cast again. btlt there was neither
rise nor STRIKE" aid We sought another
| place. Betty secured a second redeye and
1 KILLED" three more. Jack in the mean
time had caught three sunfish and a red
| eye. Then we climbed the bank and rested
| for half an hour. Betty was so much
| pleased with her SUCCESS that she gave me
a commission to select fly fishing outfit
| for her.
Are you sure you want everything fly
| fishermen user" asked.
"Yes. Rod. line, reel leader and some
| flies"
What about a creel? II you spend the
summer in northern Michigan and 60 trout
| fishing you will need dne.'
I'VE can get that LITTER"
"And II you seek bsss in the small Indi-
| ana streams you may 1e forced to wade"
| continued. Shall purchase a pair OF rub
Der boots? I use al macintosh wading
| suit. Perhaps you would prefer something
| of that kind"
Now you are ridiculing me-" said Betty,
| in resentful tone. you need not trouble
yourself about the boots or suit. will use
| a boat IL necessary"
There is another ching that Is seldom
| omitted. Have you pocket hask?"
For liquor?"
| Yes. Liquid bait. ~ is sometimes called.
| 1t also is said to be cure for snake bite"
| mo. I'll dispense WI that and take the
| risk The remedy is worse than the dis
| ease. Roman punchi and claret are my
| limit"
| / dropped the quettion knowing that
| Betty has views OF het own on the matter.
| She believes liquor is valuable as a medi-
| cine in cases of emergency. but thinks IT IS
| harmful as a beverage. On the way back
| to the bridge Betty made a few casts for
practice and showed SD much Improvement
congratulated her. Jack also had become
interested in the spirit and before we
reached the house ha had determined 70
abandon the use of live bait and take UP
| fly casting. My converts expressed a desire
/ IN fry for hlack haSs whap he soaSon