The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-31
TRUE ANGLING, THIS.
Joy of Battling With the
Savage Muskallonge.
FIGHTS WORTH ANY MANS WHILE
Great Ferocity, Strength and
Vitality Of the Fish.


manllke, the Other Not-The Sport
to BE Enjoyed Not Very Far From
New York-Outnt Required-Nlua-
kaIlonse Getting Smaller-Fascina-
tions Of Trout Fishing IT Night-Ways
OF the Birds That Fish-Power OF q
Small Calibre Rine Tested on = Bear.
Every barrier to the legal taking OF fish
il down now, and from June / until the ice
sets in the angler may live and have his
being without fear Of the game warden.
OF all American inland fishes whose
habitat is readily reached by the sports
man, greatest ia the muskallonge. This
great fish Is found in Northwestern lakes,
only nights ride from the large towns OF
the West and even the New Yorker who
docs not care to fish the st. Lawrence sys-
tenn for the huge swimmer can get out to the
woods Of Minnesota or Wisconsin In less
than thirty hours and there put in days OF
excitement which he will remember as
long as he lives.
The muskallonge is much like other
members of the pike family in appearance.
Indeed, there are many men unable to tell
the muskallonge from the great Northern
pike, but there is a wide difference in the
disposition of these fishes and they are not
all alike once they are fastened to the end
of line
All true pike are born fighters. The
biggest and fercest Of them rarely show
on the surface when hooked and when their
fins do see daylight it is only for an instant,
a sulen roll and down they go again, de-
pending almost wholly on strength and
weight to obtain their freedom, displaying
little activity and little gameness.
The biggest pike that ever swan, il it
gets the butt hard and is reeled savagely,
will surrender utterly in ten minutes; the
wall-eyed variety will quit within minute
and come to the tugging Of the reel as
tamely as croppie; but the muskallonge,
bred In cold water and recklessly savage
by nature, will fight generally so long as 1t
has dash or surge in it.
Many a fish Of this kind has been lost
after being reeled to the boats side and
held with its head out Of water while the
slow guide prepared to shoot 1t through
the head, for there is often an ounce Of
desperate fight left deep down in a beaten
muekallonge, and just at the second when
the revolver is presented and the angler
is mentally estimating the weight a final
tremendous firt and surge are given the
line snaps. or the hook straightens, or the
barb is loosened, and the supposed victim
IL away once more to freedom.
Fishing in waters which contain both the
great pike and the muskallonge, a man
may tell almost instantly what variety he
k,yt 81 I,b 81 ~ G.h
the fighter stays under and puts on q steady
sullen drag, that Is pike; II 1t be muskal
longe that Is hooked the fisherman will
know 1t soon. for the active, vicious thing
at the far end OF the line, after jerk or
two. will como straight to the surface and
throw its length In air, shaking its huge
head as violently and rapidly as the beating
wings Of a grouse, and when 1t strikes the
water 1t will strike 1t head downward with
body curved, throwing every ounce Of its
weight against the tackle.
Men call that q game bass which leaves
the water twice in leaps OF two feet high
or more, but the muskallonge In prime
condition will leap half dozen times in a
fight Of ten minutes duration and there Ia
record OF one which went into the air not
less than twenty times in half hours
fight. 1t seemed to the man who caught
this fish that it was above water most OF
the time, and mis- most vivid recollection Of
the struggle Is OF powerful, silvery body.
outlined against the horizon seemingly
ten feet high.
The muskallonge in reality will 60 from
three to four feet out Of the water and one
exceptionally powerful and having at
tanned exceptional impetus may go five
1set out. The fish which proved itself
such leaper was taken last October from
the waters of Connor's Lake in Sawyer
county. Wis. 1t was not OF extraordinary
size, weighing IS pounds. but was a male
in perfect condition.
Under ordinary circumstances it would
have undoubtedly obtained its freedom.
because the strain and shaking to which
it subjected the hook would have loosened
any common hold. This fish. however,
had struck No. spoon, which had three
large hooks behind 1t, had struck with force
and jaws wide open, being hungry, and all
three Of the hooks had fastened, one in
the lower jaw near the right corner OF the
mouth, one in the corner of the mouth and
one in the upper jaw Capturing the fish
go badly struck was only question Of line,
strength and time. 1t stood no chance
to get away from the barbs,
There are two methods Of fighting the
muskallonge, one of them highly sports
manlike, the other unsportsmanlike and
brutal. The latter is much the more COM
mon method and ten years ago was uni
versel. OF late years it is still general but
has exceptions.
This method consists in the angler sitting
on the rear thwart Of the boat while the
guide rows slowly around lake, keeping
Is feet out from the line Of lily pads or wild
rice growing in the shallower water, When
feeding the muskallonge ensconces itself
in this covert and dashes out upon any prey
that swims by.
The angler has stout short rod. line
tested to a breaking strain OF thirty pounds.
and a spoon with either three-hook gang
or single hook behind 1t, generally the
gang. He let's out from forty to sixty feet
Of line and 30 trolls. the spoon spinning
violently.
When the muskallonge strikes the guide
Immediately heads for deep water. pulling
strong, steady stroke and dragging the
fish away from the pads or rice. The guide
keeps on rowing and the angler keeps on
holding to the rod. which Is bent far back
In q semicircle by the fish towing. II the
hooks and line and rod hold the musk allonge
Is dead fish; II not, it gets away.
There Is no science in this method OF
fishing; there is no fairness To the fsh