The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-26

striped Deer known to Have Been
Killed In the AdirOndacks.
Anglers are apt to be set in their ways
Some men will catch fish with certain
lure and that lure will remain one OF the
standards for decade, though never again
will fish rise to II in any good quantity.
There are streams in America that some
fellows wandered over thirty years ago.
meeting with poor luck or good luck The
experience of those fellows is still guide
to the younger generations OF anglers
who haunt the same streams and follow
rules which had insufficient foundations to
begin with, and are worse now than when
they were made.
Fifteen years ago nobody thought OF
casting fly from the dark. wave-lashsd
promontory OF Isl? Ma!gnn up IN the
Saguenay waters, because Il was seld
that nobody could get there safely and cast
afiy Later a couple OF iconoclastic anglers
went to the pr0montofy of Isle Mahgne,
cast flies and caught a lot OF ounaniche.
Since then every summer has seen men
fishing from that point and bringing up
fish that have cupfuS Of foam flies in their
maws.
1t is the man who thinks for himself and
ventures that catches fish. Such man,
working hard for the love of it and changing
his flies or lures every five minutes until
he gets the right one, will take pounds where
the hidebound or timid person will take
ounces, and feel much the better for it.
Fish have queer humors and take queer
things sometimes, and the endeavor OF
the angler to match their humors has re-
suited In the making of some Of the most
valuable bats now within reach OF the
fisherman. There is firm out in San
Francisco that makes a spoon invented
by such an angler. 1t does not revolve
like the ordinary spoon, but is a fiat, queerly
shaped contrivance and shifts horizontally
from side to side as it is dragged through
the water making zigzag course behind
the boat, Zigzags foot across.
That contrivance In some waters is the
deadliest thing ever tied on the end OF
a line; in other waters il is Of no value,
Its worth depends entirely upon the lido
syncrasies of the families OF bass inhabit-
ing the waters, and bass differ as widely
as human beings.
II was the necessity of taking fish that
was the mother of the ludicrous lure known
as the Dowagiac bait, cylindrical bit OF
light wood. four inches long and half an
inch in diameter. with gang Of hooks at
It's tail and gang hanging from it's middle,
painted snow white with frill OF tin around
it's neck not unlike an Elizabethan collar,
and it's nose painted sky blue. 1t does not
look like fish, or like anything elso in
the world; but it makes a ripple on top OF
the water, and bass hit at it from far down
for some reason known only to themselves.
Young muskallonge are especially fond
of it.
Now and then an angler will find that
when all newer devices are worthless only
the old-fashioned spoon with bit OF pork
behind it will serve. This, indeed, may be
OF no avail and he will have to go further
back to boyhood times and hang bunch
of red secured angleworms on his hook,
yanking bass OF trout out OF the stil places
while his rivals are getting never rise.
As a general proposition it is a good
thing to try something new in every lake
or stream that has been much f1shsd for
bass and trout and muskalonge and pike
get used to certain lures, learn that they
are dangerous and refuse to touch them no
matter how hungry they may he. This
has been demonstrated countless times.
On muskallonge lakes the No. 3 or No. q
Skinner spoon is still favorite. Some
men hang frog or club behind it, a chip
munk, a squirrel tail or field mouse; other
men Use il bare. There seems to be little
difference in the total Of results at the end
Of the season.
There are so many Of these spoons going
through the water baited and Undated that
the muskallonge, essentially cunning
fsh learns to know them and TO let them
alone. So man who has go-devil, as it
is called, stands better chance than his
fellows The goodwill is a sort Of tin min
now OF a bright silver hue. It's mouth is
open, it fills with water and it sinks six
inches below the surface when trolled rap
idly. II has gang of three hooks at the
tail and from each shoulder depends an
other gang Of three on wire smells two
inches long.
The goodwill turns in the water and
the shoulder hooks turn with Il. threshing
the water lightly as 1t moves along. Few
,muskallonge have seen bait OF this kind
and,they hit at it as much from curiosity
as from hunger, and when one of them hits
it he is "a gone musky.
The resourceful angler may try, and
should try, any number Of bats when in the
woods They are all around him. Many
n big fish has lain in the shadow of the
wild rice and watched these bats on shore
and longed for them, but no fisherman has
been kind enough 10 offer one cl them.
On the Manitowish waters IN Wisconsin
not long ago MAJ who had trOllet, two
days for nluSkallong. without Il strike had
a moment Of inspiration. A red-wiagcd
blackbird was swinging sud chattering on ~
rice stalk. The mar picked up small
rifle from the bottom q the hoat and shot
the bird.
He made no attempt IT, faSten il on lis
hook artistically ne grmpiy thrus, the
hook through the birds n,cT cas- out his
line and told the guide to move on.
The bunch of black icalh hers t,ailcl on
top Of the water for fifty p&Jds orso. Theua
nnlskallonge of thirty pounds shot 10 the
surface and swallowed II, The fight that
followed was worth having and the FISH
was one of the handsomest taken this
season. The man caught two other smaller
muskallonge with hlackb.rds, and then
went back to the city
II was Woman's Lake guide up in Minne-
sofa above 81. Paul who thought Of bass
gills early In July. His man had caught
nothing and was regarding him with
distrust.
So the guide took the gills from big
bass In his sack, fastened them to an ordi-
nary muskAllOn4e sDOOn and asked hia mn N