Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-04-28
THAT BIG FISH.
Details Of Story Told by Gar
diner Man.
The Late Andrew Hutchins and His
Mammoth Pickerel.
This Fish, He Averred, Measured Just
81 Inches.

There has been a yarn going the
rounds of the press for the past few
weeks. about a 19-Dound trout which
someone caught in Lake George
Neither the name of the fisherman, the
date of the capture, nor the locality in
which the fish was caught are given
but even though as yet no tangible
foundation has been discovered for the
tradition to rest upon, it seems to have
been well established, and it is said
that there are many people living in
the vicinity of the lake who are ready
to accept the yarn as an actual occur
renee
According to the story, the largest
trout ever taken from the lake was
caught through the ice by a once IA
nous guide, Jamon Taylor of Bolton
Mr.. Taylor had two sons, Aleck and
viii. who are also guides, and Aleck
| said that his fathers fish weighed 1112
pounds, and was poor. He also stated
that his brother Will caught the next
biggest fish, and that had it not been
for the fact that when Will gated the
| fish the gait tore out a large per cent.
of the trout'S interior mechanism, it
would have weighed more than did the
one caught by his father. However, as
this was lost, and the fish only weighed,
minus his working parts, II pounds,
Wills filial love for the old man would
not allow him to claim the champion
ship, and his fathers record was al
lowed to stand. Neither of the Taylors
believe the 19-pound trout story, and
both are emphatic in the denial of the
truth of the rumor which they consider
an attempt to rob their father of mis-
laurels.
This yarn reminds us of one we used
to hear oGr old friend Andrew
Hutchins relate. in the years gone by.
Andrew has long since been called to
his reward, but his originality Of char
acter, and the fish tales he was wont
to tell. will long be remembered by
those who knew him.
His home was at Gardiner. and in
fact he was a life long resident of the
city of saw and paper mills. His boy
hood days were passed along the shores
of the picturesque stream which bears
the name and forms the outlet of Lake
Cobbosseecontee, and in time he be-
come one of the most successful fisher
men who frequented those waters. And
in after years, he did not forget the old
love, and in his old skiff passed many
happy hours skirting along the edge of
| the lily pads in quest of the willy
pckerel which lurked in the shady
| depths beneath them.
Andrew had a friend named Talbot
who, from the fact that he had lost one
| leg below the knee, and wore a wooden
tn hy
the unique cognomen of "Peg-leg. "
| Talbot owned a houseboat which he
called "The Providers Joy, or the
Pride of the Buggeraboo," and on this
craft he and Andrew took many a
cruise along the stream in sunshine and
fin storm.
| But to come down to the story it.
| self One afternoon the writer was
coming down the stream from day
in camp. and seeing the craft with the
long name hauled in by the shore a
Hazards Rips with Andrew on the
quarter deck padded the canoe over
alongside.
| Andrew sat over a box full of bull
| frogs of assorted sizes, and was indus
| triously engaged in preparing thei
hind legs for the evening meal, while
Talbot was inside, building a fire il
the stove. After the usual salutation'
had been exchanged, Andrew ex
planned the situation by saying that h.
and Pegleg had been up on the marsl
above the Hazards after a mess o
frogs legs, and had decided to hav
supper where their boat was mooreo
and then go home by moonlight.
AS the conversation went on tn
writer noticed a big pickerel which la
on the bottom of the boat. The ifs
must have weighed four pounds, an
was beauty.
Yes said Andrew, in response t
J an expression of admiration on tn
| part of the man in the canoe, that
a pretty good pick'rel for now day!
! Peg-leg ketched him up by the Bas
, set. house, this morning. But tina
. amt nuthin' to what they used to b
, when 1 was a boy. Thet fish wouldn
be in the primer class compared wit
+ some of the big ones they used to ketci
: Speaking of pick'rel reminds m
| rADn