Omaha daily bee., 1910-08-21
CATCHING FISH ON DRY LAND
Truthful Angler shows what May De
Done In Drouth Belt of
Kansas.

rom boNklns ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF ethNN
went home to Galena to vote at the prt-
marles last Tuesday. AS soon as he had
exercised his right OF citizenship Ed sspp
and Big Bill Brown went ON his trail aud
the three proceeded to frame up a fishing
trip for that night on Spring river The
fish are always In alarming danger when
this triumvirate get within striking dtsr
lance. They shouldersd their paraphernalia
and hired various divers and suudry small
boys to catch frogs. dig worms, buy liver
and chicken '1nnards" and all OF the nifty
seven varieties OF bait and ambled away
toward the bubbling spring.
The editor of the Galena Times saw the
three start away. He HE'D himself back to
his office and proceeded to write; Tom
Botkin, Ed sapp and Big Bin brown went
fishing today. Botkin win probably have
fish stores for the Topeka newspaper CORE
| spondents for the next six months"
copy Of that paper, embelllshed with
blue pencil marks. decorated Botkin's desk
upon his return to the secretary OF states
| office. He felt that his editor friend hadn't
treated him right.
Il always tell the truth about fishing"
he declared In fact, pride myself con-
corning my unimpeachable veracity when
discussing my adventures with the finny
tribe. l feel like not saying word any
more, since this newspaper article appeared,
but / will insist upon telling this story
not so much because of the story itself, but
as positive proof of the wonderful aero
battle performances which Fish and Game
Warden Dyche attributes to the black bass.
You remember Dyche declared that black
bass. to his certain knowledge, jumped out
of a pond and captured bluejay. The
bass swallowed the bird at one gulp, though
| his nhuptia IN he f0h
and couple of inches of the jays tail was
sticking out of the fsh's mouth sort OF
doubted that-yet have all the respect In
the world for Mr. Dyche's assertions But
l know now that his statement Is as true
as the gospel, for saw an equivalent act
on the part Of a black bass-saw 1t with
my own eyes, and Big Bill Brown will
verify every statement concerning It that
I make" This was his yarn:
Ed Sapp, Brown and Botkin picked out a
good place to fish, along the latter part OF
the afternoon. The sun was comfortably
warm. Botkin baited with liver; Brown
used angleworms, and Sapp fastened live
frog to his hook. They all cast In. No
bites They visited. Still no bites. They
talked over the chances Of the primary.
J Still no, bites. The sun was warm. Sapp
became sleepy, nodded few times and
| llndlly nCdu uTOppcQ Oh MS manly
} bosom and he was off in dreamland
Botkin and Brown did not waken him.
After a few minutes they saw Sapp's line
performing some peculiar motions. II was
: coming in to shore. There was a jump or
two, a splash and out on the bank hoped
the frog, which had been baited onto his
] line. The hook was still attached to him,
but he had decided TO come ashore. There
: he sat at Sapps feet, surveying the world
and happy as a frog can be. He let out
a few cheerful croaks and settled himself
: on a stone at Eds feet, basklng in the
sun.
; Brown and Bothin grinned at each other.
, But they said nothing. They knew Sapp
: would awaken directly and thought that
they would have q laugh on him-fishlns
! on dry land.
! They waited several minutes. Then there
! was a commotion in the water about slx
feet In front of sapp The water boiled
there was a flash and a spray and up rose
big black bass, sailing out into the air
, like a foot ball under the toe of an Ecker
!; SAIL Herschberger or an O'Day. With q
. graceful parabola the bass curved into the
bank. The frogs eyes spread all over his
/. face. Straight as a dart that bass darted
1 In toward sapp's feet His eyes opened
! and with one gulp he swallowed the terror
1; stricken and hypnotized frog.
Back fled the bass into the water, scarcely
4 even touching the ground. He shot fol
! deep water. He took the frog with him
= also the hook. also the line, also the pole
: and also almost Sapp, The rudely awak
{ ened fisherman was yanked forward, but
} with true fisherman's instinct he grippec
!. tightly to his pole.
s BY that time BotlSin and Brown had re
y covered from their shock. They rusheS
!, to their comrade and gave him valiant aid
J, All three tugged and pulled, and their Of
t forts brought the daring bass to the shore
: He weighed five pounds
!; It took sapp some time 10 believe tn
/ strange manner in which he had captures
that bass, but now he is a thorough con
. vert 70 the idea that a man can catcl
n fish on land without science or scientific
:, study.
Now, I wouldn't have told this story.
), said Botkin, but for the simple purpos
L that wanted to corroborate Dyche's stor!
!. of bass jumping from the water to catcl
e a bluejay. was skepucal. l am ashame'
q to say, at first But now 1 beliye him" -
= Kansas City Journal.