The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-07-10
The Fisherman.


as far as me experience goes whin the
clouds are touching the hills; the heavi-
ness ov the air makes thin sleepy an
they keep down. and Farrelly takes
his pipe from his mouth and points the
shank of it out towards the lake.
I'm afraid / have no use going fish
Ing today, Farrelly, for 1 always found
your opinion right. You seem to know
more about the habits of fish than any
man ] ever knew"
Il make me Twin out ov the business,
yer honor. an an experience ov over
forty years gives me an insight into the
ways ov the same fish, an in troth their
ways are quare sometimes. Do yeh
know what l was often thinkin', yer
honor?"
No, Farrelly, ! confess / don't.
Il was often thinkin', yer honor" and
Farrelly thrust a thumb into his waist
coat pocket and closed his left eye. 1
was often thinlkin' that Job must be a
fisherman, the patient min ov this
world are the fishermen"
You are a great rogue, FarTelly, a
great rogue, and as far as 1 know you
and Job are no relations Get my boat
ready, and if you like you can come
with me- If we don't catch any fish,
well, have something good In the bas-
ket"
Il can't go today with yer honor, for
I have different little jobs to do. I'll
have the boat in wan minute for yeh.'
Farrelly soon had the boat ready for
Mr.. Mannering, and with a 81 wish yer
honor the height ov luck" he pushed
the boat from the bank out into the lake.
When Mr.. Mannering departed Far
reilly chuckled silently to himself as he
uttered these words:
ITO see him wud his rods an arti-
fetal flies ye'd think he was goin' to do
the divil an brake things, an there's
not a fish in the lake bud is laughin
now at him. However, Jack ma bou-
chal tits an ould sayin' an a true wan,
that it's an i'll wind that blows nobody
good He won't go home impty-handed
an I have four or five nice fish that
can sell him chape whin he returns an
thin he'll tell everywan he meets he
caught thin himself"
Jack Farrelly's words were true Mr..
Mannering was very fond of fishing.
but he was very unsuccessful, although
he imagined there was no one who could
WELD fishin rod like him. Hence to
return to his home after a days fishing
without q single catch would not, he
thought, look well in the eyes of the
country folk so to save his reputation
he bought and paid dearly for the fish
Jack Farrelly supplied him with. It
was laughable to see Mr.. Mannering
drive home after his purchase from
Jack. Seated we'll back in his gig with
the fish hanging well out at the back
that everyone might see them, his smil-
ing face seemed to say to the people he
of Ecl, I 81
bait"
The people of the village knew Mr..
Mannering's weakness to a nicely, and
they catered to that weakness by such
remarks as these:
Long life to yer honor, bud yeh new
er go out bud yeh catch something" 81
never saw such a fine fish, He must
be the biggest in the lake, an I'd like
to see yer honor playin' wud him."
'Farrelly thinks he's the divid himself
at catchin' fish, bud he cudn't hould
farthin' candle to yeh.'' He was teIlin'
us last night that yeh can tell be the
color ov the water where the fish are"
Father Denis an the doctor, God bless
thin, wor out for the last week an they
KEN home wud wan hand as long as the
other. bud they don't know how to fish
for pinkeens."
All these remarks Mr.. Mannnering
swallowed, but his gig was only out of
sight when these words were uttered:
Poor Mr.. Mannering is as simple as
a child. an Jack FarrelIy has no better
customer, bud for fishin', Innocent Mat
ty wud ketch more wud his hat an his
eyes shut"
Jack Farre1ly was a bachelor and
lived in a neat little cottage on the lake
shore. 1t was my greatest delight to go
down to Jacks home and sit with him
as he mended his nets or fishing tackle.
Seated before his door with his old
SLOUGH hat pulled down over his eyes
and his hands clasped around his knee.
he would discourse with you for hours
on the habits of the different fish and
the qualities Of the different bats. He
despised artificial flies and never used
one Of them. He caught the ordinary
1lies and knew to a nicely the fly the
trout liked best. He gave me nv first
lessons in fishing and rowing, and 1
could not have a better teacher. MANY
q happy day 1 spent with kind Jack
Farrelly. He was a master at telling
stories, especially ghost stories. and the
different. raths, old castles and mounds
around the lake he peopled with fairies.
leprechauns and spirits. There was an
old Benedictine monastery at the hack
of his cottage, and well remember with
what awe Jack used to tell me of the
many times he heard the monks sing
there at the witching hour. He would
tell you, too, the many crooks of gold
that were buried in the old raths, and
the many that lost their lives looking
for them. The beginning of all Jacks
stories would be prefaced by the words.
''Wanst upon time an very good
time ii was, three brothers wint to seek
their fortune"
In his spare moments Jack was a
great book worm, and the books he
loved best were political ones, especially
Scott. He had the whole of the "T,adv
of the Lake" committed to memory.
and it was great delight Of his to de-
claim passages from 1t for you. I re-
member funny incident which once
happened to Jack The schoolmaster
and he were arguing on the merits of
Scott and Dryden. Jack knew nothing
about the latter poet, but he pretended
that he did, and was loudly CHAMPION
ing his favorite while Bartholomew Fin
negan (the schoolmaster) Wanted the
praises of the loud march and energy
divine"
Il tell yeh. Bartholomew F" such
was was Jacks method of addressing the
schoolmaster. Every line Of Scott
breathes ov action. Whin yeh read the
line yeh can see as plain as a nikestaff
the thing the line describes. Now for