St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1905-11-22
The Call of the Wild.

| Every now and then feel the Call of
the Wild. In more specific, comprehen-
sible English want to go fshing-darn
| bad. So. the night before, get out my
| tackle and give it thorough inspection.
Yes, the line was properly dried by being
wound over the back OF kitchen chair
on the evening OF the last fishing trip,
and then oiled. A fisherman, a real
| fisherman, no matter how tired he is
after days fishing, will dry and oil his
line when he hasn't sufficient strength to
toddle to the grocery store around the
corner for pound oil butter.
Then there are the hooks to be looked
at and tested. A fellow learns to do this
after he has lost one or two big croaker
| or surf through frayed leader or rotted
hook-gut. And the pole, too. Don't you
remember all too well the time you 6shed
until five minutes before train time, and
when you tried to unjolnt your pole the
blame thing wouldn't come apart? And
Bill took hold of one end and you the
other and you both pulled and twisted,
but it was no use, so you rushed for the
train regardless: and when you got home
the measIy rod almost unjointed itself, it
came apart so easily. 1t pays to put
little vaseline in the hollow end OF the
joints.
Next the basket, with its miscellaneous
collection of extra lines and sinkers, a
-four sack or gunny-sack to hold the
fish. towel to wipe your hands on-for
batting is messy art-the bait knife-a
good sharp bait knife is powerful COM
forting. you are confirmed regular"
you will have scaler to scale the fish,
scale to weigh them with, gaf, plenty
of extra hooks, couple of extra leaders
and other truck for which nobody except
a fisherman can see any earthly use. The
baitbox, too. Perhaps its special tin
box, or it may be patent glass jar 6lch-
ed from the careful housewives diminish.
ing store. No real fisherman carries his
clans to the seashore unshucked if he
can help it. And it is very bad form
belplessy to pound hardshe baptist
clam on pile in order to get it open.
find my tackle and all the auxiliary
appurtenances to be in good order, ready
for the morrow's excursion, and to catch
the first car in the morning.
So, rise in the morning, eat hasty
breakfast, and take the car-ior the office
aud to work. But it is worth something
to be able to feel the Call of the Wild, if
nothing more.
To paraphrase somewhat uncertain
axiom, not all good fellows are real
fishermen, but all real fishermen are good
| fellows in mighty nice sense OF this
much abused term. And you'd be sur
prised to know how many grave and
reverend seignors in this City of Angels
| find their best recreation in the anglers
art. There are no boys among them
| boys haven't patience to fish in salt
water; but I'll venture the assertion that
many a knotty problem has been thought
out and settled at the end of nine
ounce rod while waiting for the fish to
bite.
read in one OF the public prints the
other day-for the newspapers are very
properly taking increased interest in fish
ing news, that Judge Gesner Williams
had caught seven fish on one line and one
hook at one time, and my curiosity being
excited l meandered over to Williams
office to learn the details OF the remark.
able feat at first hands. Gesner warmed
to the subject in somewhat deprecatory
MANNER.
II caught fish" he began, "But there
was nothing remarkable about that. 1t
was the aftermath, so to speak, that
furnished the fireworks. l had been
trolling outside around Portuguese Bend,
when hooked big shark. After two
hours hard fighting, l managed to bring
the shark 'longside. 1t was too big to
take into the boat so we towed it
In and gave it to a professional fisher
man. 1t was then that the surprise be-
gan to unwind. The shark, which weigh
ed 65 pounds, was cut open. Inside it
was thirty-6ve pound yellowtail; inside
the yellow-tail was fifteen pound bass.
The bass contained an eight pound
croaker. The croaker had swallowed
three pound yellow6n, which in turn had
eaten one pound mackerel. Inside the
mackeral was smelt weighing just four
ounces. And that is the way l caught
seven fish weighing 1874 pounds, on
one hook end one line at one time"
thought so too.-[CHARLEs V. BAR.
TON in the Los Angeles Graphic.