Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1904-06-17
A WOMANS FIRST
TROUT FISHING

IkUUI flSQlNUI
More women Should Engage in
the Pastime Of Fishing.
Accordingly, when yesterday, after
q drive of twenty miles up in the
wilds of Sullivan county to Serrine
Brook, we reached that enchanting
spot, Prudence and I mysteriously
disappeared with sundry bundles
from under the wagon seat; after some
hesitation and much trepidation we
emerged from our hiding place minus
encumbering skirts, soberly clad in
dark gray blouses and Turkish trou-
sers, with high rubber boots and soft
felt hates, armed for the fray with
reel and rod. Never till then did [
know the meaning OF emancipation.
To be aole to wade that stream, to
step boldly over logs, to go and come
without the hampering thoughts that
always cling to the skirted creature,
alb! how we exulted in our new found
freedom. No wonder men are called
the lords of creation when they can
stride over barriers insurmountable
to the feeble being in skirts. Intoxi-
Gated with our freedom, should
have found delight enough in its
realization had the day held no other
pleasures.
We set out at FIVE o'clock in the
morning and were in the brook fish
ing at nine.
All day we fished except when we
stopped for dinner. The long drive
over the mountain there and back
was delightful, and that brook! How
you would have enjoyed it. Masses of
rhodode on the banks gave it a
semi-tropical look (like rubber plants
and orange leaves), and the running
water and the messy stones and logs
every glance back was beautiful
| picture.
| Icaught-took, / mean-four trout;
two others got away before could
land them. They were all small; my
largest one was not much over seven
inches. We brought back twenty-six,
none OF them very big: we had to
throw a lot more back that were un-
der size.
Such quantities OF arbutus as there
/ n hn al oil lint no
were SO consumed with the anglers
arb0r that we only gathered little
while going back to camp.
What day it was! Out of sight
and hearing of each other nearly all
day long, except when we met at din
ner, yet none of US thought of being
lonely. / found myself singing once
or twice in sheer delight with the
scene and the solitude, singing while
wading knee deep in the hurrying
Istream.
When pulled out the first trout it
was different from what / had ex.
pected. l felt quite calm, but found
myself saying aloud, 'tHonestly?"
could hardly credit tia real trout
on my hook-but I proceeded to take
him of as though had done 1T all
| my life. Then the reaction came. By
the time began to rebait my hook
was so hurried and excited that ii
lseemed could never get that worm
on. A worm never sQuirmed so be.
fore, I'm sure. l put my trophy on
the bank near wake robin, and fever
lishly returned to my fishing as though
my very life depended upon it. It
wasn't long before I took the second
trout, then TIVE little fellows got a
way from me, then we had dinner,
and In the afternoon / got several
bites-strikes / mean-each one a
ldistinct event which made memor.
able the spots where they occurred,
and two more trout, and at six
O'Clock we came away, A bare outline
as look back upon the day. It seems
a funny thing to spend all that time
lcontentedly, and only catch four trout
but you know better than / can tell
Iyou how much else caught-how full
the beautiful day was. Oh, / caught
a little green crab, too, and saw a
garter snake, and found yellow
violet and some very tiny white ones.
and oh, the strawberry blossoms, and
the arbutus- literally carpet of it,
found in a wood road that led back to
where we met for dinner.-From For
est and Stream.
| Sued by His Doctor.
"a doctor here has sued me for
&I2 so, which claimed was excessive