Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-07-23

!: LOOKER-ON In IOWA !
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES;

Mikana WIS., July 23.--"Far from
the madding worlds ignoble strife, :
this writer has strayed into the lake
region of northern Wisconsin. where
the lakes swarm with muscalonge and
the pine woods hang full Of pineapples.
1t Is mighty restftll to fat man to GO
fishing. especially when someone else
rows the boat and the writer catches
the fish and acts largely in the capac
ity of ballast. And such fishing. II
seems to the writer that he never
wants to come back to Iowa and mum
dane things and waddle up one stair
way after another In search OF the
new subscriber and the necessary but
elusive dollar.
Last year the writer came to these
waters with the ordinary accouter-
ment of the average fisherman
Bristol rod. a good silk line and snelled
hooks This year he got ready right
He bought a. twelveinch reel, geared
down to give purchase to a crank like
the handle on an old-fashioned we'll
curb and sent back to the Connecticut
coast for cod line These attached to
a 81 foot steel rod weighing Is
pounds-a boat rod and unfit for cast
ing-constitutes this years equipment
When bass strikes the spoon and es-
tablishes connection with the house
moving apparatus described above he
comes TO the boat. Ii not the boat goes
TO him. Something has to move.
The fierceness of the Mikana fish is
;f,si, n{chi
takes a man too brave or too fat to run
to face them. This writer has fished
many waters. but he never saw any
thing like this. In his boyhood days
he has caught common speckled trout.
many of which would weigh 16 pounds
on pin hook with line of Coates
American spool cotton No. 40, white.
He has caught bullheads In Tuttle
lake, lots of which would entirely fill
the back of a democrat wagon. but
he never saw anything like Mikana.
Here it Is not uncommon for the writ
er who invariably uses two and some
times three spoon hooks on one line
TO land two "a to so pound muscalonge
at one cast. Yesterday evening three
mighty fish struck at one time. 1t
took all the writer's we'll known skill
to secure them. They swan togeth-
er like three-horse team. towing the
boat four times the length OF the lake
(about twenty-four miles) before the
boat chain could be wrapped about
tree trunk and the boat made fast
Then the house moving outfit made
short work of them. After their tre-
mendous exertions during which each
must have worked off ten to fifteen
pounds the three weighed over sixty
nine pounds. Their fangs have been
extracted and will be used for hat
racks in the hall at home. That there
is danger connected with the capture
Of such fish will be realized when it
Is understood that each of these fangs
is not less than four and three-quar-
ters inches in length, sharp as needle
and curved like a Turkish saber. The
favorite bait of the Indians hereabout
These Indians are experts at bait cast
ng.
No one who wants perfect fishing |!
IAN do better than come to Mikana. |
The people here are primitive. but |
truthful and honest. |
This is why the writer likes them. |
rhe fishing is good and an inspector |
,omes in three times a week and tests |
Ill the weighing scales. The writer |
ind male companion are going today |
,ver to a little bay where he saw a |
lea serpent last year when weak tackle |
orecluded an attempt to catch 1T. II /
{ connects with winch reel and hoist
ng apprenticeship that is another
story. More anon.