The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-23
SPORTS.
SAWS HOLE IN BOAT.
Monster Fish at Gross Lake Gives
Prominent Residents Of Foss-
ton a Bad Scare.
Bites Piece Out Of an Oar, but Is
Finally Dispatched and
Landed.
Special to The Journal.

Special to The Journal.
Fosston, June 23.-While Fosston does
not boast of possessing the largest or
most beautiful lakes in the north half
OF the state. yet she has several pretty
bodies of water adjacent to the city and
a lot of the gamiest fishermen to be found
IN the state. The truth of the latter
statement has been proved on divers and
sundry occasions, and recent expert
ence only tends to clinch the fact.
Some four or five years ago. the lakes
hereabouts had an abundance of the
fnny tribe, mostly perch and pickerel,
but during the last few years, until this
summer, 1t has been the opinion that the
waters had been fished out Many of the
places which were formerly favorite fish,
ing grounds had become entirely deserted
until this summer. when it has been dis
covered that there has been an influx of
pike, pickerel and perch, and fine strings
of these varieties have been caught.
one OF the lakes which has not been
visited for several years, is Cross lake,
about five miles east of here. A party
composed Of A. Kaiser, vice president of
the Bank of Fosston and late chairman of
the republican county committee of Polk
county; l.. G. Hancock Of the firm Of
Larsen, Carpenter & Co., and M T. Boil
ton of Plainview, Mimi, and owner of
the Plainview News Cleaner, who was
here on a visit, made a trip to Cross lake
last week, and they discovered that the
lake was literally swarning with pickerel
and perch. They took boat with them
and caught a fine string. They also
finally succeeded in landing, after hard
struggle, q, fish, the like of which has
never been seen in this part Of the state.
d With a stone for an anchor they were
in the middle Of the lake, when Kaiser
noticed that the boat was very slowly
filling with water at one end. He had
also observed that for half an hour the
fish, which could be clearly seen in the
water, sped madly away whenever the
boat approached. Something had been
scraping the bottom Of the boat at the
rear end. Closer examination disclosed
something sticking thru the bottom of the
boat and gently moving back and forth,
like a saw at work. The something was
hit with one of the oars, when there was
a comm otion, and it was seen that it was
a fish, which had become entangled in the
rope fastened to the stone anchor in the
boat. The rope had been dragging be-
hind, and the fish in writhing to loosen
itself had cut a hole in the boat with it's
fin.
Bolton began to bail out the water from
the boat, while Kaiser and Hancock got
busy with the fish. They prodded it with
the oars, and it bit a large piece out
of one of them, but refused to bulge
from the boat. Becoming desperate. as
the boat was rapidly filing with water,
Kaiser seized the stone anchor and CIV
ing it a mighty swing, hurled it at the
fish, There was g. splash, followed by a
stream of water and blood, and the lake
for distance of ten feet from the boat
was dashed into foam, drenching the
anglers 81
This lasted but, q, moment; when there
was a calm, and the body Of a peculiarly
shaped fish appeared on the surface of
the water. A landing hook was brought
into play, and the fish gated and hauled
into the boat. Bolton kept bailing out
the water and thesparty rowed to shore to
hold an inspection on their catch.
The fish was laid on the sand, where
it was found it had a dorsal fin four
inches long. The fin was very tough and
surmounted with sharp spines, which had
evidently done the damage to the boat.
The fish had a large mouth, generously
supplied with teeth and was shaped diff
ferently from any fish ever caught here.
1t was brought to, town and kept here
for several days. Many viewed the Curl
osity and Sam Olson, cashier Of the Bank
Of Bagley, who is an undisputed authority
on matters piscatorial, asserts that the
catch was a dog-fsh. Messrs. Kaiser
and Hancock assert that hereafter when
they go to Cross lake to fish, they will
take with them, as a means Of protection
against the attacks of the monsters of
the deep out there, a set Of firearms OF
heavy caliber.