The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-09-01
THE BULL "MUSKY"
OF MIDDLE FLAMBEAU

ernest McGaffey in Chicago Tribune-)
The Flambeau river is rightly named.
When you see it churning over some of
those foamy rapids it seems to be
waving a white torch as it dashes
past. Either fork of II is sure-enough
river, and walled in by heavy timber,
with here and there a reach of sandy
or lOw-lying shore, il is one of the most
beautiful and picturesque of streams.
But it's wild out that way. The old
French vogageurs who named the
stream have faded into history. But
the Indians, at least those on the near
by reservation. still are there. They
weave baskets and drink kill belly
whisky. mostly. They are not mourn
ing for the ashes of their departed
forefathers to any ululating extent.
Sometimes they hire out to the fish
ermen to paddle a canoe or a boat
| along the Flambeau, and +hey are as
expert as their scalping ancestors in
this craft. The F'lambeau is one Of
the greatest fishing rivers in the world.
for you can catch redeyed or small
mouth bass there. muskellunge, brook
trout, and waneyed pike. Now you
can talk all you please about brook
trout, cisco, sheepshead, pompano,
black bass fresh mackerel. sole, red
snapper, muskellunge, bluefish, or any
other fish that swims, and the wall
eyed pike, fried shortly after taken
from the water-fried in thin shay
ings Of prime bacon-is the best fish
that ever wiggled a fin Take that
from me; I've tried 'em all.
X X
But what I started to tell was about
Chippeway Pete" Jack Sebastian and
the Englishman: and the English
mans dog. And, really, by the way,
the story is all about the bull ''musky"
of middle Flambeau. If anyone thinks
that angling is a cruel sport, don't let
him drop the story on that account.
The bull "musky" got away all right
But in that he merely kept up his
usual winning streak 1t was one thing
to hook him, another trick to get him
into a boat, or even near enough to
plug" with a .3S-caliber revolver.
1t wasn't that he was such a giant
fish, he weighed, by expert guess
work, about thirty pounds But he
was all thunder and lightning, steel
springs and India rubber, white hick-
DRY, and wrought iron; the champion
welterweight fish of the roaring Flam-
beau. with so many spoons" hanging
from his undershot jaws that he tin
killed. like q door bell when he came
swimming up stream. Every once in
awhile one Of the spoons" would wear
off, but then some fool fisherman would
hand. the bull ''musky'' another to take
its place, so he was always literally
supplied with jewelry.
The Englishman landed at Upper
Portage camp. With him was his
white bull terrier. He was a salmon
fisherman by choice. although he had
fished in American waters for a couple
of years and had cast the fly for gray
inc I'D -,
pom at Arkansas Pass. He was not what
you would call a loquacious man. At
least that's what Jack Sebastian said.
But he wanted TO catch some mus
kies." and he hired Jack and Chippe-
way Pete" to do the light and airy
work of the camp and portages and
to paddle and cook for him while he
trolled and cast for "muskies" and
bass.
There were three men in the boat.
all right, and the dog; just like Je-
romes story; only this is a true story,
as all fishing stories ought to be-
Pete" and Jack Sebastian did the
padding, and the Englishman fished.
He caught couple Of "muskies" that
drew down the scale at nine and
twelve pounds apiece, and they both
put up a fair fight, but nothing like
what a big fellow would furnish. Once
as they turned a bend in the river a
ponderOuS black bear crawied out of
the river and disappeared in the woods.
What's that?" said the Englishman.
Bear" replied Sebastian.
MY wOrdp' said the Englishman.
x x
Finally the camp began to edge
down around middle Flambeau Every
night they built a little "Iean-to'' and
rolled under it on the blankets and
slept peacefully under the tall trees
with resinous air stealing through
the lofty aisles of the forest and en-
veloping them in it's aroma. The Eng
lishman smoked. Pete smoked. and
Jack Sebastian followed suit" Once
day the Englishman silently took a
'bracer' and passed the flask to the
others. As the Indian was not what
you would call a talker and the Eng
/ lishman could not be induced to saw
more than a couple of sentences. q dav.
ii was rather tough on Jack Sebastian
who was as companiOnable a guide as
| ranged between Muskrat Bend and
Logjam.
At last they pitched camp in the
horseshoe curve, where the bull mus
ky was sometimes to be found. and
Sebastian winked at Pete" and then
said to the Englishman: There's a
musky' around here that fools 'em all.
He's 'leven feet long and weights some
where nigh eighty pound. He's busted
every spoon hook that was ever fast
ened into him. If you ever git into the
bull 'musky' you'll see some fishin' like
yore mother used to make"
The Englishman smoked his briar
root pipe. What would you advise
Tor tackle?" he finally inquired.
Braid all yore lines together" said
Jack; hitch 'em to the chain and hook
we fasten up the f1atbOat with. and
bait with yore dog" was his answer.
My word"' said the Englishman.
x x
The next morning they were up
early, and finished off about six pounds
Of walleyed pike apiece before the
plan of the day had been elaborated
1t was agreed at last that Pete"
should take the Englishman down
stream, and Jack would cruise around
in the woods and behead a few part
ridges for dinner. Partridges or ruffed
grouse were as thick rs huskleberries
along the river, and any one of the
men could eat whole one at a meak
Pete" and his patron got out and